Myeloma Centre of Excellence award for blood cancer experts
11 September 2025
Press contact: Claudia Blake | claudia.blake@nhs.net
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been named a centre of excellence for its commitment to patients living with an incurable blood cancer.
The Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s haematology team were presented with the Myeloma UK Clinical Service Excellence Programme (CSEP) Award in recognition of their outstanding care and dedication to patients with myeloma, a devastating type of blood cancer which develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow and claims the lives of 3,000 people in the UK each year.
This is the first time the Sheffield team have received the award, which is only handed to a select few hospitals every four years.
Staff were praised for their efforts to improve patients’ quality of life and eagerness to adapt and listen to their needs.
Praise for first class care
Awarding centres must demonstrate that they deliver first class compassionate care for myeloma patients, including individualised treatment programmes. They must also share knowledge with other providers and involve patients and their loved ones in how services are designed.
The team, who care for hundreds of patients every year, scored more than 70% in seven key areas of the assessment. This included excellence in diagnosis, coordination of care, treatment, symptom management, frailty and end of life care, research and clinical trials, and education and self-management.
Dr Elisa Roldan Galvan, Haematology Consultant and Myeloma lead at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are extremely honoured and privileged to be recognised as a Myeloma Centre of Excellence for the services we provide to our patients. Our team of nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and support workers work closely together to try to offer the best possible care to our patients. We try not only to treat the disease, but also to listen to our patients and respond to their concerns, so that their care continues to improve. This accolade is not only a celebration of what we have achieved so far, but also a promise that we will continue working to improve the care, support, and opportunities available to our patients in the future.”
A challenging disease
Myeloma predominantly affects people over 65 and only one in 10 patients diagnosed with the disease every year are under 55.
It is especially hard to spot as the symptoms are often vague and dismissed as ageing or other minor conditions.
By the time many patients are diagnosed their cancer has advanced and they require urgent treatment. This can significantly impact their chances of survival and quality of life.
Myeloma is a relapsing-remitting cancer, meaning that although many patients will experience periods of remission following treatment, the disease will inevitably come back.
Around 6,200 people are diagnosed with myeloma every year in the UK.
Rhys Owens, Clinical Practice Services Senior Projects Officer at Myeloma UK, said:
“Myeloma is a challenging cancer which keeps coming back and can be really difficult to cope with both physically and mentally, so we were hugely impressed with the hospital’s efforts to ease patients’ burden and make their treatment that little bit easier.
“To see the team going the extra mile day after day to give those affected by myeloma a chance to live well for as long as possible is truly inspiring.”
While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases.
ENDS
