Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been named as one of 16 centres across the country to deliver specialist stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy – a minimally invasive technique used to treat patients with brain tumours, epilepsy and pain disorders.
The announcement, made by NHS England, will increase access to specialist ‘Gamma Knife’ treatments for patients in South Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire.
Sheffield’s National Centre for Stereotactic Surgery, based at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, has been operating since 1985 and is a national centre of excellence for the service. Since May Sheffield has been designated as one of two centres providing specialist care and support for patients in the North and Midlands with rare and complex conditions (such as vascular and other non-tumour conditions). The other, University College London Hospitals, covers the South.
Stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy are specialised services delivered by a highly skilled team of neurosurgeons and oncologists, working together with specialist radiographers, physicists and other professionals as part of multi-disciplinary teams.
The technology uses a focused array of intersecting beams of carefully measured gamma radiation to target lesions in the brain with a 0.1mm precision, meaning that there is less risk of damage to surrounding healthy tissue and thus fewer side effects for patients. Unlike open surgery, patients are usually treated as a day case, and the treatment is less invasive.
Kirsten Major, director of strategy and operations at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Sheffield was the first place in the UK to pioneer ‘Gamma Knife’ treatments, so we are delighted that even more people will be given access to this minimally invasive surgery. We have a wealth of experience, having treated over 15,000 patients, and are extremely proud of our services.”
Dr Richard Grunewald, clinical director of neurosciences at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Sheffield has a long history of providing specialist ‘Gamma Knife’ treatments. This new, expanded service will improve access to this advanced form of treatment, and give even more patients access to one of the country’s finest stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy facilities.”
Across England, the number of patients receiving stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy will more than double over the next three years, according to NHS England. The new stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy services are spread across all regions of England, improving access to services and making it possible to treat more people closer to home.
