£165 MILLION BOOST TO MODERNISE CANCER EQUIPMENT

22 May 2003 10:15 AM

Programme will replace all CT and MRI scanners over ten years old and all Linear Accelerators (Linacs) over eleven years old

The Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn today announced the next stage in the Government's programme to provide the NHS with the most up-to-date equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of people with cancer.

As a result of today's announcement the NHS in England will have a stock of diagnostic scanners as modern as any country in Europe. All MRI scanners, CT scanners and Linear Accelerators in use in the NHS before 1997 will be replaced. A £165 million investment programme, over the next three years, will mean not a single MRI scanner, CT scanner or Linac in use in the NHS is more than 11 years old.

£90 million will replace all CT and MRI scanners installed before 1997. £75 million will replace all NHS Linear Accelerators (Linacs) installed before 1996.

Increased investment in new equipment is a specific commitment outlined in the NHS Cancer Plan (September 2000). A recent publication from the European trade association COCIR (European Co-ordinating Committee of Radiological Electromedical Industries) indicates that the age profile of CT and MRI scanners in the UK is already better than most European countries.

CT and MRI scanners are used in the diagnosis of cancer and to monitor the progress of treatment. As a result of this investment hundreds of thousands of patients will benefit from faster diagnosis and the most targeted and appropriate treatment for their specific cancer.

Linear Accelerators provide high-energy x-ray beams which are targeted at tumours in the treatment of cancer. The new machines have the potential to match the treatment beams to the shape of the tumour to provide a much more precise and efficient treatment. The increase in the quality and quantity of equipment will mean faster treatment for patients and a reduction in waiting times.

In his speech to the Britain Against Cancer Conference in November 2002 the Secretary of State announced a further 50 CT Scanners and 50 MRI scanners. Today he outlined where the majority of this additional new equipment will be located. Once they are operating at full capacity these 100 scanners will provide an extra 400,000 scans a year for NHS patients.

In addition, since the publication of the Cancer Plan in September 2000, the NHS has benefitted from 42 new MRI scanners, 133 CT scanners, 57 Linacs and over 580 items of breast screening equipment. This means that 39% of MRI scanners, 59% of CT scanners and 45% of Linacs now in use in the NHS are new since April 2000.

Mr Milburn said:

"Tackling cancer is a top clinical priority in the NHS. By 2006 no cancer scanner in the NHS will be older than the Government. Every one will have been renewed since 1997.

"We are moving towards having cancer services up with the best in Europe after decades lagging behind. The NHS in England can today look forward to having diagnostic services as modern as any country in Europe.

"Real progress is now being made in cancer services - as a result of the investment and reform now going in and the hard work and commitment of NHS staff. There is, of course, a long way to go. Like the rest of the NHS, cancer services are now turning the corner.

Mr Milburn was speaking following publication of a report by the National Clinical Director for Cancer Services, Professor Mike Richards, detailing investment in cancer services over the past two years. The NHS Cancer Plan committed an extra £280 million for cancer services in 2001/02, rising to £407 million in 2002/3 and £570 million by 2003/4. The report shows that while cancer investment was below that planned for 2001/2, this was corrected in 2002/03 in line with the commitments set out in the Cancer Plan. Planned local investment in cancer alongside central budgets for 2003/4 will mean that the NHS will invest more than the £570 million provided in the Cancer Plan.

Professor Mike Richards said:

"We have made a good start. The new systems are now in place to drive the changes needed to deliver the Cancer Plan. We have a huge amount of work underway to modernise the way in which cancer services are delivered. The investment has begun to get through and we must ensure this is sustained over the critical three years ahead."

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Cancer Plan, published in September 2000, provides the first ever comprehensive national strategy for tackling cancer and outlines the Government's commitment to increasing investment in cancer services by an extra £280 million in 2001/02, rising to £407 million in 2002/03 and £570 million by 2003/04.

2. Details of the MRI and CT scanners allocated today are listed below.

Strategic Health Authority Trust Equipment

Avon, Gloucestershire & Gloucestershire Hospitals CT scanner(x2) Wiltshire NHS Trust

Bedfordshire & East & North Hertfordshire MRI scanner Hertfordshire NHS Trust

The Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

The Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Birmingham & the
Black Country Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull (Teaching) NHS Trust CT scanner

Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull (Teaching) NHS Trust MRI scanner

Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust MRI scanner

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust CT scanner

Cheshire &
Merseyside Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

Royal Liverpool &
Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

County Durham &
Tees Valley County Durham and Darlington
Acute Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Cumbria & Lancashire Blackpool, Fylde &
Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Essex Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust CT scanner

The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Greater Manchester Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust MRI scanner

Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Trust MRI scanner

Hampshire & Isle of Wight The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust MRI scanner

Kent & Medway Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust CT scanner

Leicester, Northamptonshire
& Rutland Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust CT scanner (x 2)

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust MRI scanner (x 2)

N & E Yorks & N Lincs Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Scarborough & North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust MRI scanner

York Health Services NHS Trust CT scanner

Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust MRI scanner

Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire Addenbrooke's NHS Trust MRI scanner

James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust CT scanner

Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

North Central London Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust MRI scanner

University College London Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

North East London Barking, Havering & Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Barking, Havering & Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Bart's & The London NHS Trust MRI scanner

North West London Ealing Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

St Mary's NHS Trust CT scanner

Northumberland, Tyne & Wear South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust MRI scanner

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Shropshire & Staffordshire Burton Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Burton Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust CT scanner

University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust MRI scanner

Somerset & Dorset Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

South East London Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Trust MRI scanner

South West London Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust CT scanner

South West Peninsula Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust MRI scanner

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Royal Devon & Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust MRI scanner

South Yorkshire Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Surrey & Sussex Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

Thames Valley Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Trent Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust CT scanner

Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

West Midlands South George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust MRI scanner

West Yorkshire Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust MRI scanner

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust CT scanner

3. Computed Tomography (CT) is an X-ray technique that uses a CT scanner to provide detailed cross-sectional images of the body which are not obtainable with conventional X-rays. This is a high technology modality, which is experiencing a resurgence in popularity following recent advances in multislice technology. However, CT procedures involve high doses of ionising radiation. Approximately 35- 40 per cent of the workload in CT is associated with the diagnosis and staging of cancer, but CT is also useful in assessing trauma victims in A&E, in demonstrating lung pathology, bony anatomy and for the diagnosis of stroke patients.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a high technology technique which involves the use of a strong magnetic fields (3,000-30,000 times greater than the Earth's magnetic field) and pulsed electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency. A significant advantage is that it does not involve the use of ionising radiation. It is used to demonstrate the soft tissues of the body and is the optimum modality for imaging the brain, spinal canal and joints. Recent technological developments mean that MRI is being used increasingly in the assessment of cancer patients and when imaging the blood vessels of the body. MRI may not be suitable for patients who are claustrophobic and is not safe for those with cardiac pacemakers or metal implants.

Radiotherapy linear accelerators
Linear Accelerators (linacs) are the primary external beam treatment machines in radiotherapy departments. Linacs provide high-energy photon (x-ray) beams which are targeted at tumours in the treatment of cancer. Multi-leaf collimators are used on modern linacs to shape treatment beams which closely conform to the shape of the tumour. Safety during treatment is enhanced with electronic imaging systems which allow oncology staff to confirm the correct alignment of the patient to the radiation beam. Linacs can also produce electron beams which are used to treat tumours nearer the body surface.

4. In January 2003, Ministers asked the National Cancer Director Professor Mike Richards to commission an exceptional tracking exercise, to pull together the information currently held within the NHS on the additional investment in cancer services in 2001/02 and 2002/03.

The full report is available at: www.doh.gov.uk/cancer