§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether all hospitals, research establishments and universities possessing linear accelerators, other accelerators or teletherapy units have the appropriate RSA93 registration. [HL3447]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner):Registration to keep and use radioactive materials under the 1993 Radioactive Substances Act is applicable to linear accelerators and other teletherapy units only when those contain depleted uranium (DU) or other radioactive materials. Where this is the case the premises and materials must be registered.
The uranium was used in the construction of head shields, which restrict the leakage of radiations from these machines and in collimators used to shape or limit the useful beam. However, the great majority of such machines in use within the National Health Service today are relatively new and do not carry DU as manufacturers have moved to the use of alternative high-density metals. Accordingly registration of these machines is not applicable.
In addition to linear accelerators described above, a small number of cobalt 60 units remain in NHS hospitals. These require registration in respect of both the renewable cobalt 60 radioactive source used and any DU present.
Taken together the NHS in recent times has about 12 machines to which RSA registration is applicable. Of these about half are in day-to-day use and the remainder are awaiting removal or are retained as part of contingency plans to ensure continued availability of treatment capacity. Several of these are scheduled for replacement under the current central procurement scheme, which is intended to modernise and expand the asset base in this area.
All of the major teletherapy equipment suppliers are clearly aware of the need to assist the NHS by providing appropriate information on the use of DU and audit trails are in place. Each NHS trust has a local duty to register sources with the Environment Agency (England and Wales) and this work is carried out under the supervision of radiation protection advisers appointed under the Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999.
93WA
§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether linear accelerators and teletherapy machines are clearly labelled to indicate the presence of depleted uranium. [HL3448]
§ Lord Warner:The treatment room housing the teletherapy machine will be a controlled area under the 1999 Ionising Radiations Regulations and will carry notices at the entrance, complying with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and BS 5378.
The medical and dental guidance notes "A good practice guide on all aspects of ionising radiation protection in the clinical environment"specifically asks that the presence of depleted uranium (DU) in a teletherapy machine be noted in the radiation safety local rules. These rules will also be reflected in maintenance protocols and documentation.
The DU components themselves are stamped with an identification code in order to facilitate the individual tracking of items or components in the event that they are removed for service reasons. These stamps are also essential in audit trails, which are used to maintain records of the use and location of the material throughout its life. Internal radioactive materials labelling, within the head of the apparatus, is used where the manufacturer, service organisation or local radiation protection adviser considers that a hazard might arise.