NHS Supply Chain is supplying 28 new linear accelerator radiotherapy systems to NHS cancer centres across the country.
“These machines will deliver more precise treatment for patients, which helps them to recover sooner, as well as enabling the NHS to treat people more efficiently as we continue in our efforts to catch and treat more cancers faster,” said Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer.
NHS Supply Chain manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.
For funding, NHS England supplied £70m for the radiotherapy systems for hospitals in need of replacements.
The 28 new systems were procured by the NHS Supply Chain from three suppliers: Varian Medical Systems UK, Elekta, and Accuray UK.
The investment has secured £21.8m in savings, freeing up vital resources for patient care.
Modern LINAC technology offers faster treatment, reduced waiting times and in some cases can halve the number of hospital visits required.
The 28 trusts receiving upgraded LINAC systems include:
- Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
- United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
- Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, one of the recipients, is already seeing the benefits of the upgrade.
“We were pleased to benefit from the NHS England-funded LINAC programme which, through the NHS Supply Chain purchasing route, has enabled us to replace a 12-year-old radiotherapy machine with a new state-of-the-art system,” said Rachael Edwards, Clinical Service Manager in Radiotherapy.