NHS Supply Chain, the organisation responsible for sourcing, delivering and supplying healthcare products, services and food to NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales, is supporting the NHS to treat cancer patients quicker with the supply of 28 cutting edge new linear accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy systems in 2025/26 to NHS cancer centres across the country.
The rollout of the new technology is backed by centralised government funding provided by NHS England for NHS hospitals in need of replacement systems.
Through its framework agreement, NHS Supply Chain procured 28 new systems for the NHS from three suppliers, Varian Medical Systems UK Ltd, Elekta Ltd, and Accuray UK Ltd, delivering savings of £21.8 million for the NHS.
The modern technology reduces delays to treatment and, in some cases, could reduce the number of hospital visits a patient needs to make by half, helping to cut waiting lists faster.
NHS national clinical director for cancer, Professor 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.”
Antonia Marks, director – diagnostics, equipment and services at NHS Supply Chain said: “This achievement comes after a decade of collaboration between NHS Supply Chain and NHS England in delivering radiotherapy LINAC replacement funding. We’re proud to have provided the procurement route for these systems, achieving significant savings for the NHS.
“These advanced technologies will play a vital role in reducing waiting times and backlogs, while ensuring patients receive treatment using the latest innovations.”
Rachael Edwards, clinical service manager – radiotherapy at The Christie’s NHS Foundation Trust, one of the NHS trusts to benefit from one of the new radiotherapy systems, added: “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.
“This upgrade marks a significant step forward in our ability to deliver advanced radiotherapy treatments with enhanced precision and efficiency. We anticipate meaningful improvements in workflow and patient experience, and we’re optimistic that this investment will support our ongoing efforts to meet rising demand and reduce waiting times.”
The systems have been purchased via NHS Supply Chain’s Imaging Radiotherapy Endoscopy Ancillary Devices and Related Goods and Services framework.
