£9.49m boost for North Wales cancer treatment
Hwb o £9.49m ar gyfer triniaeth canser yn y Gogledd
More people will receive radiotherapy treatment as Ysbyty Glan Clwyd receives new cancer treatment machines.
The Welsh Government is investing £9.49m in two new linear accelerators at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre to replace ageing equipment.
The new machines will deliver radiotherapy treatment more precisely and efficiently.
The latest Linacs can target and destroy cancer cells more accurately, reducing the risk of harm to normal tissue around the tumour site.
The new equipment will be more reliable than the older machines, which can break down and delay patient treatment. They work faster, allowing more people to receive treatment each week.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles said:
"This new, state-of-the-art equipment will provide more precise and faster treatment for people with cancer, improving access to radiotherapy services and cutting waiting times.
“It is another example of the Welsh Government’s commitment to improving outcomes for people and follows similar investments in new equipment in Wales’ other cancer centres.”
Head of Radiotherapy Physics at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Jaap Vaarkamp said:
“This new equipment will help us to deliver innovative, patient-centred care through simplified treatments, reduced delivery times and highly improved imaging. It will help ensure we deliver targeted treatment, when it is needed.”
Notes to editors
- The NHS in Wales delivers external beam radiotherapy services via its three specialist cancer centres: Velindre Cancer Centre, the South West Wales Cancer Centre, and the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre.
- A radiotherapy satellite centre has opened in Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny and provides specialist radiotherapy.
- Each cancer centre has a number of linear accelerators to deliver external beam radiotherapy, which is distinct from machines or techniques that deliver radiotherapy internally within the body. The new linacs for North Wales will be installed and operational in 2026.