The UK government has announced that new linear accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy machines are set to revolutionise cancer treatment across England, offering faster and safer care for thousands of patients.
Funded by a £70m government investment, the advanced machines will be installed in 28 hospitals, significantly reducing treatment delays and improving patient outcomes.
The introduction of LINAC machines is expected to halve the number of hospital visits for some patients, easing waiting lists.
By replacing outdated equipment, the new machines will prevent up to 13,000 appointments from being lost due to equipment failures, ensuring more reliable treatment access.
Starting in August, the nationwide rollout is part of the government’s Plan for Change.
By March 2027, up to 27,500 additional treatments per year will be delivered, including up to 4,500 patients receiving their first cancer treatment within 62 days of referral.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “There is a revolution taking place in medical technology which 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“But NHS hospitals are forced to use outdated, malfunctioning equipment thanks to 14 years of underinvestment under the previous government.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.”
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, LINAC machines precisely target tumours, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
They are effective for cancers in difficult-to-treat areas such as the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, and increase the availability of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) treatments.
The deployment prioritises hospitals using machines over 10 years old, ensuring faster treatment and reducing appointment cancellations due to faults.
Specialised Commissioning teams at NHS England have allocated the machines, aiming to address health inequalities by equipping every radiotherapy service with modern technology.
In addition to enhancing treatment, efforts are underway to speed up cancer diagnosis.
Improved performance against the Faster Diagnosis Standard resulted in 4,000 more patients receiving a definitive diagnosis or all-clear within four weeks by March 2025.
Patients also get easier access to vital tests, checks, and scans, with Community Diagnostic Centres delivering almost 2.5 million diagnostics in accessible locations by March.
The initiative follows the government’s rollout of 13 new DEXA scanners, enabling 29,000 additional bone scans annually as part of the Plan for Change.
The government’s Plan for Change prioritises patient care, addressing the long-standing challenges faced by millions across the country in accessing necessary treatment.
NHS national clinical director for cancer Peter Johnson said: “Radiotherapy is essential for many cancer patients, so it’s great news that the investment in new machines means that some will need fewer rounds of treatment, as we bring in more sophisticated techniques.
“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.”
