Press Releases

Pioneering new National Facial Oral and Oculoplastic Research Centre (NFORC)

Press release – 21st November 2014

Combined media launch and public information event
Wednesday 26th November 12 noon-5pm
Purcell Room South Bank Arts Centre Waterloo London SE1.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – London 21st November 2014
Media Enquiries: email: info@savingfaces.co.uk
PATIENTS AND SURGEONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Download Notes for Editors

Sections:

  1. What NFORC is and how it will improve patient treatment
  2. Launch Event programme
1. What NFORC is and how it will improve patient treatment
  1. This groundbreaking new research centre is a World first.
  2. NFORC design and methods are revolutionary and research on its huge datasets will improve treatment for all patients suffering head, neck and facial injuries, diseases and growth disorders worldwide.
  3. It is a partnership between UK surgeons and patients leading the world and defining best treatment now and researching better treatment in the future through “patient power”.
  4. Professor Iain Hutchison (NFORC Director) says “This is the first time all the surgeons in one nation – the UK – have combined with their patients to collect the exact details of the treatment given by each surgeon and every patient’s report on the physical, social and emotional outcome of their treatment. That’s how we’ll work out which of the many treatments available for each condition works best”.
  5. NFORC has only been made possible by a unique collaboration between 3 national surgical organisations dealing with the face [ The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS); The British Oculoplastic Surgical society (BOPSS) and the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) – see Facts section for more details ]; and the charity “Saving Faces-The Facial Surgery Research Foundation”(savingfaces.co.uk) who are organizing the launch and funding NFORC.
  6. The umbrella organization covering all the specialties treating UK Head and Neck cancer patients [The British association of Head and Neck Oncologists (BAHNO) – see Facts section] have also entered into partnership with Saving Faces and NFORC.
  7. Iain Hutchison says that “Surgeons around the world are excited about this pioneering centre and want to partner us as they have nothing like it in their own country”.
  8. “I’ve already had enquiries from researchers in Europe and the USA about the possibility of analyzing these huge datasets – some of the researchers have described NFORC data as a gold mine”. “We’ve had to set up a Research Board of scientific experts to evaluate these bids from researchers”. “NFORC research will eliminate the uncertainty that bedevils decision-making by surgeons who always want to improve treatment for their patients”.
  9. This type of research is called “clinical research” because it is conducted with patients.
  10. NFORC clinical research will be allied to psychological research to improve sociological and emotional outcomes of the surgical treatment
  11. NFORC research will be allied to innovative laboratory research to find those genetic markers that can predict cancer and to see how we can grow body parts as replacements for tissue loss from shotgun and blast injuries and after cancer removal.
  12. NFORC has been selected by The Royal College of Surgeons of England as the UK’s Head and Neck Surgical Trials Unit.
  13. NFORC is a national organization based at Barts and The London Medical School.
2. Launch Event programme:
  1. The actor Alan Rickman and The deputy chief medical officer for the NHS Mike Bewick will open the event which will be compered by Channel 4 anchor Jon Snow;
  2. The French surgeons who did the first face transplant will describe how they did it and what they have learnt researching the outcomes of their surgery;
  3. World-leading scientists will talk about growing / making body parts to replace the face;
  4. Patients will give first-hand experience of the impact of facial injury, jaw joint problems, disfiguring facial growth disorders, mouth cancer, and melanoma on their and their family’s lives.
  5. Surgeons will talk about their research to improve treatment for all facial conditions and how to tailor treatment to individual patients.
  6. The world-renowned Saving Faces art project will be exhibited in the foyer of the Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall.
  7. There will be inter-active displays of 3D printing and other research in the foyer throughout the afternoon.
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