New radiotherapy x-ray unit to 'boost' Somerset cancer treatments

Martin Cooling, Marcus Dakers, Stuart McGrail and Dr Urmila Barthakur with the new superficial x-ray machine

A new purpose-built radiotherapy x-ray unit to give a "major boost" to cancer treatment has opened.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has unveiled the brand new unit at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

The trust worked with the charity, Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment (SURE), to deliver the new equipment.

It is hoped that the new unit will improve diagnosis and treatment for patients and reduce waiting times.

The project has been in the works for a number of years and has replaced a unit in the old building, which has since been demolished to make way for a new surgical centre.

It offers patients superficial x-ray radiotherapy, which is able to treat cancer located on or close to the surface of the skin. Radiation does not travel far into the body in this process.

Non-cancerous conditions such as large scars and inflammation can also be treated with the machine, because the high energy dose is so precise.

'A step forward'

Jo Penman, head of radiotherapy at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our new superficial x-ray unit gives us an additional radiotherapy facility alongside our existing linear accelerator machines, which may not be right for every patient.

"The waiting times in Somerset for treatment on a linear accelerator have increased significantly since the pandemic as we're seeing many more patients with cancer.

"While these groups of patients can't be treated on a superficial x-ray unit, we can help to ease the pressure on our linear accelerators by using it to treat other conditions."

Paul Alway, the chair of SURE, said: "Since funding the original superficial X-ray equipment at Musgrove, SURE supporters and fundraisers have funded the introduction of many advances in treatment across the radiotherapy department and the wider hospital through our joint vision and roadmap, helping to improve the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for cancer patients.

"SURE is currently funding the largest project we have ever undertaken with the introduction this year of Surface Guided Radiotherapy Treatment across the radiotherapy department, which will deliver a real step forward in radiotherapy treatment for Somerset."