The new Queen’s Hospital in Romford, north-east London, has commenced advanced radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients using equipment and software from Varian Medical Systems.
Neil Dancer, deputy head of radiotherapy physics at Queens Hospital, said: “This is good news for local patients as it means more advanced treatments with better ability to conform beams to the shape of the tumour.” Using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) the hospital has the potential to enhance treatment outcomes by improving cure rates and reducing complications.
By selecting one equipment supplier, the centre is aiming to improve reliability and serve more patients. “One of the benefits of having equipment and software from one vendor is that we have a greater ability to switch patients between machines,” added Neil Dancer. “The people here in the radiotherapy unit want a department where everything talks to everything else and there is just one point of contact. That is why we selected Varian.”
Queen’s Hospital was constructed under a PFI (private finance initiative) scheme. However, funding for the radiotherapy department was split between the PFI and Government backing via the Department of Health’s Cancer Plan investment. The four linear accelerators and a GE scanner were purchased within the Government’s Cancer Plan, which has seen 115 new accelerators acquired for UK radiotherapy departments over a three year period.
