Articles & Journals

On Wednesday 1 October 2025, the Wade Conference Centre welcomed Professor David Hatch, also known by his stage name Professor Whizzo, for a fascinating evening exploring his remarkable journey from medicine to magic. Professor Hatch, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Anaesthesia at the University of London, enjoyed a distinguished medical career spanning more than 30 years at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. As the UK’s first Professor of Children’s Anaesthesia, he

Tina Mistry Pain1, Mark Kitchen1 Consultant Urologists, University Hospitals North Midlands, Newcastle Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 6QG Background: Vitamin C and Hiprex UTIs are extremely common and especially prevalent in women, with 50% of women experiencing at least one UTI in their lifetime [1]. 10% of women will have at least one UTI per year, with 2.4% of all women going on to experience very frequent UTIs [2]. Recurrent UTIs (rUTIs) are commonly defined as the occurrence

Professor Will Carroll and Dr Chloe Fairbrother The Problems with Puffers and Inhaler Dose Reliability Most people with asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease use inhalers to help treat their condition and help with flare ups. Both conditions are characterized by a narrowing of the airways that we call obstruction. This can occur because the airways are inflamed or because the muscles around the airways are contracted. There are two main types of inhaler. Anti-infla

The Wade Conference Centre was honoured to welcome Baroness Hale of Richmond for the 54th Wade Lecture on Wednesday 9 October 2024. Lady Hale, former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, delivered a thought-provoking lecture entitled “Values in Medical Decision-Making”, exploring the important relationship between law, ethics, personal values and the complex decisions that can arise within healthcare. With a distinguished legal career spanning several decades

The Retirement Fellowship continues to provide a welcoming place for retired health and social care professionals to meet, socialise and enjoy a varied programme of activities at the Wade Conference Centre in Stoke-on-Trent. Gatherings take place on the last Thursday of every month, bringing members together over tea, coffee and biscuits in a relaxed and friendly setting. Open to anyone from a health or social care background, the Fellowship offers an opportunity to maintain

The Wade Conference Centre welcomed Sarah Berry, Reader in Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London and Chief Scientific Officer at ZOE Ltd, for its Spring Lecture on Wednesday 24 April 2024. Her lecture, “Personalised Nutrition: Now & The Future,” explored the rapidly developing science behind personalised nutrition and how new research is changing our understanding of the relationship between food, individual biology and long-term health. Understanding personalised nut

The 53rd Wade Lecture welcomed Dr Peter Dean to the Wade Conference Centre on 11 October 2023 for an engaging talk on “Forensic Medicine in Film and Fiction.” A former HM Senior Coroner for Suffolk and Forensic Medical Examiner with the Metropolitan Police, Dr Dean brought decades of experience in forensic and legal medicine to an evening exploring the relationship between real-life forensic practice and its portrayal in books, television and film. From Sherlock Holmes to mod

The 2023 Research Awards Ceremony brought researchers, healthcare professionals and supporters together at the Wade Conference Centre on 5 September 2023 to celebrate a diverse range of innovative medical research projects. The event recognised six projects receiving funding through the NSMI Research Awards, with a combined value of £132,713. Guests heard short presentations from each of the award recipients, providing an opportunity to learn more about their research, the ch

Professor Murray Brunt delivered his inaugural lecture, “From ABC to FAST Forward for the Future: A Journey in Academic Clinical Breast Oncology,” on 14 June 2023 at the Denise Coates Building, Keele University. The lecture reflected on more than 30 years of developments in breast cancer treatment and research, drawing on Professor Brunt’s own career as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and his involvement in major clinical trials. A career shaped by advances in Breast Cancer

The 2023 Wade Spring Lecture welcomed Professor Sir Martin Landray, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, to the Wade Conference Centre on 18 April 2023. His lecture, “Smarter Randomised Trials for Better Public Health,” explored how large-scale clinical trials can be designed and delivered more efficiently to provide reliable evidence, improve treatments and ultimately benefit patients. Improving the way Clinical Trials are conducted Professor L

The Wade Charitable Foundation 2023 Annual Report is available to view and download. The report provides an overview of the Foundation’s work during 2023, including its activities, governance, achievements and financial information. It reflects the Foundation’s continued commitment to supporting its charitable objectives and the communities and organisations connected with its work. The annual report also provides an important record of the Foundation’s activities throughout

The 52nd Wade Lecture welcomed Professor Clifford Stott MBE to the Wade Conference Centre on 6 October 2022. Professor Stott, Professor of Social Psychology at Keele University, brought extensive expertise in crowd psychology, policing, collective behaviour and public safety to the annual lecture. His career has focused on understanding how people behave in crowds, how conflict can develop between groups and how policing strategies can influence public cooperation and safety.

The Wade Charitable Foundation 2022 Annual Report is available to view and download. The report provides an overview of the Foundation’s work throughout 2022, including its charitable activities, governance, achievements and financial information. It offers an important record of the Foundation’s work during the year and reflects its continued commitment to supporting its charitable objectives and making a positive contribution through its activities. Publishing the annual re

Former Chairman John Muir reflected on an eventful three-year period for the North Staffordshire Medical Institute and Wade Conference Centre, spanning major refurbishment, new investment in medical research and the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. When John became Chairman in 2019, the Institute was entering a positive new chapter. With generous support from the Wade Charitable Trust, an extensive programme of improvements to the building was underway, tran

Professor Shaughn O’Brien stepped down as Chairman of the North Staffordshire Medical Institute after helping guide the organisation through two significant periods of change and development. An obstetrician and gynaecologist, Professor O’Brien served two separate terms as Chairman and played an important role in shaping the future direction of the Institute, its research activities and its conference facilities. Guiding the Institute through change Professor O’Brien’s first

Researchers in North Staffordshire used funding from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute to investigate ways of making glaucoma surgery safer and more effective for patients. A research team based at Keele University’s Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine received a £10,000 grant to study ways of improving the success of trabeculectomy, a surgical procedure commonly used to treat glaucoma. The research was led by tissue engineer Professor Ying Yang and focus

The North Staffordshire Medical Institute (NSMI) celebrated the successful completion of a community fundraising campaign that raised £1,999 to purchase and install a public access defibrillator at its Hartshill Road premises in Stoke-on-Trent. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was installed on an outside wall of the building, making potentially life-saving equipment available to the local community in the event of a cardiac emergency. Life-saving equipment for the l

North Staffordshire researchers received £18,450 in funding from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute to investigate a potential new treatment approach for cancers that had become resistant to chemotherapy. The research team, led by pharmacologist Dr Alan Richardson, focused on breast, ovarian and lung cancers that no longer responded effectively to the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel. The aim of the project was to identify a way of making resistant cancer cells sensitive t

The North Staffordshire Medical Institute welcomed the local community for Hartshill International, a vibrant family event celebrating the many cultures, nationalities and languages represented across Stoke-on-Trent. Organised by Hartshill and Harpfields Occasions (HAHO), the event brought together people from across the area to share food, music, costumes, flags and traditions from around the world. Held at the Institute’s Hartshill Road premises on Saturday 5 May, the event

North Staffordshire researchers received £20,000 in funding from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute to investigate arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), an inherited heart condition associated with abnormal heart rhythms and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. The research, led by Dr Vinoj George at Keele University’s Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, aimed to better understand why the condition can affect patients with very dif