August 11, 2015 12.59 pm This story is over 103 months old

Lincoln hospital invests in advanced radiotherapy machines to treat cancer

£6.7m project: Cancer patients in Lincolnshire are now being treated using new state-of-the-art radiotherapy machines in the county’s hospitals.
The new linear accelerator at Lincoln County Hospital

Cancer patients in Lincolnshire are now being treated using new state-of-the-art radiotherapy machines in the county’s hospitals.

A £6.7 million investment by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has seen a new linear accelerator (LINAC) installed at Lincoln County Hospital, which works by delivering high energy x-rays to a cancer patient’s tumour.

The radiotherapy machine is the first of three such which will be brought to Lincoln hospital by 2017.

The LINAC uses modern technology to provide radiotherapy treatment to tumours on any part or organ in the body.

Treatment on the new machines is also more targeted and precise in destroying the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue.

This new equipment has been accompanied by a refurbishment of the department which is hoped will provide better access for patients.

Lisa Vickers, Senior Business Manager at the trust, said: “We are delighted to see the first of our new LINAC machines in service.

“This will allow us to offer our patients radiotherapy treatment using modern techniques locally.

“The feedback we have had from patients treated on the new machine has been excellent and they like the new environment much better.”