It brings together scientists and clinicians across discipline boundaries to deliver cancer research that ultimately improves patient outcomes.

NPIC aims to deploy digital pathology across hospitals in the North of England and will develop artificial intelligence tools to help diagnose cancer and other disease.

[19] In October 2013 as a result of the Keogh Review the Trust was put into the highest risk category by the Care Quality Commission.

[22] The trust was one of five to benefit from a five-year, £12.5m programme announced by Jeremy Hunt in July 2015 to bring in Virginia Mason Medical Center to assist English hospitals using their clinical engagement and culture tools including the Patient Safety Alert System and electronic dashboard.

[23] In 2016, the Department of Health awarded funds to six healthcare trusts in England – the Scan4Safety demonstrator sites – to investigate how consistent use of point of care scanning might improve efficiency and safety within the NHS.

[24] In April 2016 it was reported that the trust had been forced to cancel liver transplant operations because of a shortage of critical care nurses.

[25] The trust renegotiated the private finance initiative for the Bexley Wing at St James's Hospital in May 2017 and expects to save £52 million over the life of the contract.