MANCHESTER has missed out on a é50m health research bonanza to help fight cancer and heart disease.
The government has announced that the city failed in its bid to host one of five new comprehensive biomedical research centres.
Instead, the cash will go to three centres in London, one in Oxford and one in Cambridge.
Last night the decision was described as a "slap in the face" for Manchester, with campaigners condemning the decision to push all the research money into southern England.
Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd said: "I am very disappointed for Manchester and I think that people will be perturbed that taxpayers' money for important research schemes in an important industry of the future has again gone to the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London.
"If you recognise that health in the north of England, and particularly the north west, is worse than many of these areas where the money has gone, then this is a bit of a slap in the face.
"We think that research in Manchester is every bit as good as anywhere else in the country. It's a bitter pill in more ways than one. We've got to get back involved with government and express our indignation."
The bid to host the comprehensive biomedical research centre was lodged by the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals Trust (CMMC) and Manchester University and was backed by the Manchester Evening News.
Scientists were hoping for a massive boost in their efforts to find medical breakthroughs, particularly in the treatment of cancer, heart, circulation and lung conditions, as well as asthma, HIV, mental illness, blindness and the health needs of children and older people.
If the bid had succeeded, local patients would also have been the first to benefit from new developments. Business leaders said that skilled medical workers flocking to the city would also have boosted the local economy.
Shortlist
The bid made it to a shortlist of six for the five centres but Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has now revealed that Manchester will be the city which loses out.
The announcement went largely unnoticed as the government revealed the news after 6pm on Friday and on the same day as a huge shake-up in Greater Manchester's hospitals was announced.
As well as the five comprehensive biomedical research centres, there will also be six smaller "specialist" centres in London, Liverpool and Newcastle.
Manchester's health bosses say they are "extremely disappointed" by the decision and are now seeking an urgent meeting with the Department of Health to demand answers to why Manchester has again missed out.
Manchester city council leader Sir Richard Leese said: "We are disappointed to learn that CMMC were not successful in securing the proposed biomedical research centre.
"Failure to relocate to Manchester represents a missed opportunity to grow the global science base in the UK and an entirely unsustainable reliance on research based exclusively in the south east.
"However, we will continue to work with our partners to drive our aspirations for the Oxford Road corridor."
A "win" would have doubled the city's medical funding.
A spokesman for the Central Manchester and Manchester Children's Hospitals Trust and Manchester University said: "We are extremely disappointed with the news and we are seeking an urgent meeting with representatives from the Department of Health to garner further information about the reasons for their decision."
WHAT do you think of the decision to deny Manchester this bonanza? Have your say.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
As a scientist working in the north west I think this descion is terrible. Manchester University as worked so hard to establish itself as a center for biomedical research obtaining large grants from private organisations such as the welcome trust to attract top researchers from all over the world and to encourage local scientist to stay in the area. Yet in spite of all this the government is yet again ploughing more funds into an already investment rich area of the south east. I along with everyone else wait with great interest as to the governments reasons for this.
Has there ever been a more pro London & South East government than New Labour?
Another bigoted decision!
I think I am right in stating that 80% of government investment into research goes to Universities in London Cambridge and Oxford. Says something, does it not? It could be saying that other Unis like Manchester are no good or not good enough, but it could also be saying something about the North of the country and the South!
The government seems take Manchester's support for granted at election time. Decisions such as these will certainly harm their standing in the north of the country. It will be interesting to see how the BBC move to Salford develops now that Michael Grade has jumped ship. Warrant our support, Mr Brown, Manchester deserves investment.
As an Oxford graduate, I suppose I'm a bit biased in thinking that there's nothing wrong in Oxford & Cambridge being awarded the centres.
However, why does London justify 3 centres? How about 1 in London and then 1 in Manchester and the remaining one in, say, Edinburgh, if they're supposed to be national centres.
Even if a double-sized centre were situated in London, this would save the huge administrative costs of running 2 centres in close proximity, with 2 boards being paid ridiculous salaries for having meetings about meetings and doing bugger all research, which is the whole point of the centres.
Do we in manchester expect anthing other than if there is money to be spent it always goes south of the border?? mainly london Ect and we get the crumbs??? just dob your caps and say thank you?? yea they wish?? we still have a massive north south devide.