HC Deb 10 June 2002 vol 386 cc1098-9W
Mr. Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended number of linear accelerators per one million population is. [58640]

Ms Blears

There is no formal Department recommendation on the number of linear accelerator treatment machines which serve each million population. The Department is aware of the advice given by the Royal College of Radiologists that four linear accelerator treatment machines should serve each million population. Following two central initiatives, this target is expected to be achieved by 2004.

Mr. Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS health authorities provide treatment through linear accelerators; how many linear accelerators are operational within those trusts; and how old each linear accelerator is. [58639]

Ms Blears

All strategic health authorities commission radiotherapy services for patients at radiotherapy centres, which may be located within its boundaries. The following health authorities provided radiotherapy treatment using linear accelerators (linacs) at the trusts indicated at January 2001.

From a survey carried out in 2001 155 linacs were identified to be operational in the national health service. The commissioning dates for each linac is published at www.canceruk.net. Since that survey it is estimated that 47 new machines have been delivered by central initiatives alone. Information concerning the numbers and ages of such machines in Wales is also available at the same web address.

The Royal College of Radiologists is about to embark on its own survey of radiotherapy facilities, from which information will be made available on the same web-address in the forthcoming few months.

Health authorities with radiotherapy centres located within its boundaries. Also given is the number of operational linacs at January 2001
Health authority Radiotherapy centre Number of operational linacs
East Riding and Hull Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals NHST 1
Leeds Leeds Teaching hospitals NHST 7
Newcastle and North Tyneside The Newcastle upon Tyne hospitals NHST 6
North Cumbria North Cumbria Acute hospitals NHST 1
Tees South Tees hospitals NHST 4
Berkshire Royal Berks and Battle hospitals NHST 2
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Brighton health care NHST 2
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Portsmouth health care NHST 2
Northamptonshire Northampton general hospital NHST 2
Oxfordshire Oxford Radcliffe hospitals NHST 4
Southampton and South West Hampshire Southampton university hospitals NHST 3
West Kent Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHST 5
West Surrey Royal Surrey county hospital NHST 4
Avon1 United Bristol health care NHST 5
Royal United hospital Bath NHST 2
Cornwall and Isle of Scilly Royal Cornwall hospitals trust 0
Dorset Poole hospitals NHST 3
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire hospitals NHST 3
North and East Devon Royal Devon and Exeter health care NHST 2
South and West Devon1 Plymouth hospitals NHST 3
South Devon health care NHST 1
Leicestershire University hospitals of Leicester NHST 3
Lincolnshire United Lincolnshire hospitals NHST 2
Nottingham Nottingham City hospital NHST 3
Sheffield Sheffield Teaching hospitals NHST 4
Southern Derbyshire Southern Derbyshire Acute hospitals NHST 2
Birmingham University hospital Birmingham NHST 5
Coventry University hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHST 3
North Staffordshire North Staffordshire hospital NHST 2
Shropshire Royal Shrewsbury hospitals NHST 1
Wolverhampton The Royal Wolverhampton hospitals NHST 2
1 X 2 radiotherapy centres

Mr. Barker

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended replacement age of linear accelerators is; and how old each linear accelerator in service within each NHS health authority that provide radiotherapy treatment is. [58641]

Ms Blears

There is no formal recommended replacement age for linear accelerators (linacs) within the national health service in England.

The age of each linac in service following a survey carried out in 2001 is published at www.canceruk.net This lists each linear accelerator in use along with the dates when each machine was commissioned.

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