§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department's review of its 249W guidance to health authorities on the organisation of radiotherapy services will be completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MooreThe guidance on the organisation of radiotherapy services issued to health authorities in 1978 has been reviewed with the help of our cancer experts in order to take account of subsequent epidemiological and scientific developments. The review has concluded that the minimum combination of equipment and staff for a viable unit has not significantly altered. However, the use of radiotherapy has increased substantially, and is likely to continue to increase. Furthermore, the importance of access to a unit may have been underestimated.
250WAccordingly the minimum catchment population needed to generate sufficient demand for a viable unit has fallen from the 1 million previously recommended. The precise figure for each unit will depend on local factors, including transport facilities and clinical practice. However, in normal circumstances the minimum would now be about two thirds of a million.
The review nevertheless concluded that units larger than the minimum remain the ideal; they permit greater specialisation, which is especially valuable in this time of rapid change and development in cancer therapy; they are necessary for teaching purposes; and they reduce costs by making fuller use of ancillary equipment.