NCA Research & Innovation

04/09/2026

Hydrotherapy could help to reduce pain and improve mobility and quality of life for people with the rare genetic condition Hunter syndrome, researchers have found.

Colleagues at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust carried out a study of specialised exercises in warm water supervised by a trained physiotherapist to test the feasibility of the treatment as an add-on to the standard enzyme replacement therapy.

Physiotherapist Andrew Oldham and consultant Dr Karolina Stepien led the academic study, supported by the NCA’s metabolic medicine research team with funding from the MPS Society UK, here for those with rare diseases

The work has been published in the journal JIMD Reports and you can read more about how it improved physical performance, specifically how far participants could walk and walking speed, improved muscle strength, on our website.

02/09/2026

Researchers have been awarded £600,000 to develop an AI tool for faster multiple sclerosis diagnosis and monitoring.
More than 130,000 people in the UK live with multiple sclerosis (MS). MRI is central to their diagnosis and care — yet almost all NHS centres face long delays, because there are too few specialist neuroradiologists to report scans quickly and consistently.
A team from The University of Manchester, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and industry partner AINOSTICS has been awarded £600,000 from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation programme to develop and validate an AI tool that will help radiologists report MRI scans quicker, so that people with MS can be diagnosed faster.
Read more on our website.

27/08/2026

We're delighted that three Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust colleagues have been appointed as professors at The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health in recognition of their achievements in education and research.
Congratulations to Professor Helen Young, consultant dermatologist, Professor Sorrel Burden, clinical academic dietitian, and Professor Amaya Viros, who undertakes clinical practice in dermatology and high-risk skin cancer at Salford Royal. Read more about their careers on our website.

25/08/2026

So happy to introduce our Oldham research stars of the month, advanced critical care practitioner Stephanie Mason and Dr Sagar Patel.
They are two of our NIHR Research Delivery Network Associate P*s - a brilliant programme for gaining research experience and expertise.
Stephanie showed outstanding leadership on the RELEASE study since its launch in November 2025, developing and delivering targeted educational sessions to overcome initial scepticism from the medical team regarding a novel ventilation mode. In addition, she has driven recruitment through diligent candidate screening and consent. She also engaged with another trust's critical care unit to benchmark practices and share troubleshooting strategies.
Dr Sagar Patel has taken on the role of Associate PI for the T4P study and shows incredible enthusiasm for clinical research. He recently went above and beyond by returning to the hospital site while off-site to ensure the team could successfully consent and randomise two patients.
A huge thank you to them both!

24/08/2026

Important research here, led by Prof Lesley Rhodes from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

21/08/2026

"Progress rarely arrives in one spectacular breakthrough. It usually comes from thousands of ordinary people quietly giving a little of their time, a little of their trust—and occasionally rather a lot of their blood."
Retired lecturer Pat Cullen is one of those people giving his time and faith to follow in the footsteps (and blood giving!) of his pioneering grandfather, who was one of the first people to trial insulin for type 1 diabetes.
Pat has blogged about his own 'serial volunteering' for research, his experiences at Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in a wonderful piece of writing on our website.
And as it's here's what he has to say about our research nurses: "The research nurses were absolutely wonderful. They remembered your name. They remembered conversations from two months earlier. They remembered your family. They remembered your holidays. They somehow managed to make spending five hours in hospital feel almost enjoyable. That kindness matters more than you probably realise."

20/08/2026

Recommended reading: During his MAHSC inaugural lecture, Professor Dimitris Poulikakos provided a fascinating insight into a career shaped by curiosity, collaboration and a determination to improve outcomes for patients living with kidney disease.
Centred on the challenges of chronic kidney disease and dialysis, his lecture explored how clinical questions can drive impactful research, taking audiences through his academic journey and highlighting the innovative work helping to address one of nephrology’s most significant unmet needs.
Prof Poulikakos is based at Salford Royal, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

From dialysis to discovery: Professor Dimitris Poulikakos' quest to improve patient outcomes

19/08/2026

Planning to go to Kearsley Scarecrow Festival on Saturday 19 September? There will also be an opportunity to have your children aged 2-17 screened for type 1 diabetes at St Saviour's Church. It's a quick and simple fingerprick test that helps identify children who may be at higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes before any symptoms appear. Early detection allows for earlier treatment and can help prevent complications.
If you'd like to have your child or young person screened, please register in advance at www.elsadiabetes.nhs.uk
The consent process takes around 10 minutes, and you will receive a confirmation email once completed.
Please note - when selecting which location you would like to have the testing (at the end of the consent form) please follow these options: -
1. Community clinic
2. ‘no’ to outpatient clinic
3. Select St Saviour’s Church

After registering, simply attend St Saviour’s Church anytime between 10am and 3pm on Saturday 19 September for testing.
If you would prefer help completing the consent form a member of the team will be happy to assist you on the day and complete both the consent process and the test.

18/08/2026

Timely X-rays could make it faster to identify people who have had a bladder injury after breaking their pelvis, new research suggests.

This would mean they could be quickly referred to a urologist for treatment, as well as saving them from having more invasive tests.

Orthopaedic specialists from Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust , MFT Research and Innovation and The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health carried out the study using records from 600 patients treated at two local trauma centres. Their investigation showed that when X-rays identified leaking of fluid from a vein into the surrounding tissue (extravasation), this strongly correlated with bladder injury. X-rays within 10 hours of a CT scan were more reliable.

The work has been published in the journal Injury. NCA’s authors were Elgenaid Ahmed, Syed Hassan, Vijaya Kempanna, Inder Gill and Mohammed Iqbal.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2026.113272

13/08/2026

Our Bury research star of the month, research assistant Aishah Ahmed is a real hard worker and has been relentless in her efforts to recruit to the Diagnosis study, always looking to find new ways to overcome barriers to recruitment. She works well with the clinical team and this has helped with the time-restricted nature of the study. In addition, she has stepped up and led on the HIPPY trial, while a colleague was on leave. Colleagues say she uses initiative and intelligence to promote and deliver studies and is a hugely valued member of the team. Thank you, Aishah!