§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of linear accelerators to catchment area population is in each hospital trust area operating such equipment in England. [120379]
§ Miss Melanie Johnsonthe number of radiotherapy centre treatment machines (linacs) serving catchment populations is published at www.canceruk.net/reports/ rtsurvey2002/index.htm.
This information was derived from a survey of radiotherapy departments carried out in June 2002 by the National Cancer Services Analysis Team under the direction of the Royal College of Radiologists.
Three major initiatives are on-going in the provision of radiotherapy treatment machines which are leading to an increase in the numbers of such machines in clinical use.