In memory of Barbara

Barbara Hibbert agreed to be our patient co-investigator when the Yorkshire Cancer Research Bowel Cancer Improvement Programme was applying to be renewed in 2020.

Barbara was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer in 2014 and was originally on a curative pathway.  In 2016, she had a recurrence of her cancer which was thought to be inoperable, but she responded well to chemotherapy and underwent extensive surgery.

In 2020, just as the pandemic struck, Barbara had a further recurrence and was again deemed inoperable. She went on to be involved in clinical trials at the Christie in Manchester.  Barbara sadly died in January 2022.

Barbara was keen to ensure the voice of the patients was heard in all our work, and the work she did with other charities such as Bowel Cancer UK.  She was especially keen to be involved with work that improved diagnosis and treatment and to ensure those with a palliative or end of life diagnosis were not forgotten. In her own words “I became interested in helping researchers understand how things affect patients.  It didn’t matter if it was too late for me or not relevant to me directly.  It became a way of paying something back for the treatment and care I’d received”

Barbara provided an honest voice and challenge to the YCRBCIP team making sure we always kept the benefit to patients at the centre of our work.  She was a collaborative and supportive member of our team.  The insight she provided during our work with her was immensely valuable and she will be very much missed as a friend and colleague.

Our Principle Investigator Professor Phil Quirke paid this tribute to Barbara;

“Barbara was enormously helpful to us with the Yorkshire Cancer Research Bowel Cancer Improvement Programme. She helped us win renewed funding, provided excellent feedback from the patients view and on our consenting processes and information brochures. She provided an example to the whole team of living with this horrible disease and managed to stay cheerful despite the travails of her treatments. She knew that what we were doing was for others and generously provided the time to help. We are all very sad at losing her but her death provides added incentive to us all to do all we can to help others in her situation and also to prevent people from Yorkshire finding themselves in this position in the future.”