The UK Government is due to introduce linear accelerator (LINAC) machines at 28 hospitals to improve cancer treatment.
LINAC machines offer capabilities such as precise tumour targeting with minimal impact on surrounding healthy tissue, which is particularly beneficial for cancers in challenging areas such as the chest, abdomen and pelvis.
They are expected to benefit UK patients by reducing treatment delays and potentially halving the number of hospital visits required for some individuals.
The government is providing £70m ($95m) to implement the LINAC machines as part of its wider Plan for Change to enhance cancer care.
Participating hospitals will receive the new technology from August 2025, preventing 13,000 appointments from being lost to equipment malfunction.
Hospitals whose existing machines are older than ten years will be the first to receive the LINAC machines.
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By GlobalDataBy March 2027, up to 27,500 additional treatments are expected to be administered each year, including up to 4,500 patients receiving their initial cancer treatment within 62 days of referral.
UK Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “There is a revolution taking place in medical technology that can transform treatment for cancer patients.
“But NHS hospitals are forced to use outdated, malfunctioning equipment thanks to 14 years of underinvestment under the previous government.
“Thanks to the investment this government is making in our NHS, we will provide more cancer patients with world-class, cutting-edge care.”
NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning teams have allocated the new LINAC machines across England to address health inequalities and equip all radiotherapy services with modern technology for innovative treatments.
The machines will also increase the availability of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), enabling tumours to be targeted more precisely.
Earlier this year, the government pledged to invest in hospice services across England to ensure that individuals receive end-of-life care in a comfortable environment.
