NHS Supply Chain supplies 28 new cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to the NHS saving £21.8 million

NHS Supply Chain, the organisation responsible for sourcing, delivering and supplying healthcare products, services and food to NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales, is supporting the NHS to treat cancer patients quicker with the supply of 28 cutting edge new linear accelerator (LINAC) radiotherapy systems in 2025 / 2026 to NHS cancer centres across the country.

The rollout of the new technology is backed by centralised government funding provided by NHS England for NHS hospitals in need of replacement systems. 

Through its framework agreement, NHS Supply Chain procured 28 new systems for the NHS from three suppliers, Varian Medical Systems UK Ltd, Elekta Ltd, and Accuray UK Ltd, delivering savings of £21.8 million for the NHS. 

The modern technology reduces delays to treatment and, in some cases, could reduce the number of hospital visits a patient needs to make by half, helping to cut waiting lists faster.  

Radiotherapy is essential for many cancer patients, so it’s great news that the investment in new machines means that some will need fewer rounds of treatment, as we bring in more sophisticated techniques. These machines will deliver more precise treatment for patients, which helps them to recover sooner, as well as enabling the NHS to treat people more efficiently as we continue in our efforts to catch and treat more cancers faster.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer

This achievement comes after a decade of collaboration between NHS Supply Chain and NHS England in delivering radiotherapy LINAC replacement funding. We’re proud to have provided the procurement route for these systems, achieving significant savings for the NHS. These advanced technologies will play a vital role in reducing waiting times and backlogs, while ensuring patients receive treatment using the latest innovations.

Antonia Marks, director – diagnostics, equipment and services, NHS Supply Chain

We were pleased to benefit from the NHS England-funded LINAC programme which, through the NHS Supply Chain purchasing route, has enabled us to replace a 12-year-old radiotherapy machine with a new state-of-the-art system. This upgrade marks a significant step forward in our ability to deliver advanced radiotherapy treatments with enhanced precision and efficiency. We anticipate meaningful improvements in workflow and patient experience, and we’re optimistic that this investment will support our ongoing efforts to meet rising demand and reduce waiting times.

Rachael Edwards, clinical service manager – radiotherapy, The Christie’s NHS Foundation Trust.

The Christie’s NHS Foundation Trust is one of the NHS trusts to benefit from one of the new radiotherapy systems.

The systems have been purchased via NHS Supply Chain’s Imaging Radiotherapy Endoscopy Ancillary Devices and Related Goods and Services framework.

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Notes to editors

The 28 trusts receiving upgraded machines are: 

• Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
• United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
• Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
• Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
• University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
• South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
• The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Barts Health NHS Trust
• Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

About NHS Supply Chain

Our role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales. By working in collaboration with the healthcare system and suppliers, we help the NHS to put patients first.

We are a part of the NHS and deliver cost-efficient, resilient, clinically assured products that are responsive to frontline needs. Our focus on the end-to-end patient pathway supports the healthcare system to:

• Reduce treatment times
• Decrease patient length of stay
• Enable more care in community settings
• Improve clinical outcomes

We provide over 35 million products a year to the NHS in a wide variety of categories, from food to knee implants and MRI scanners, and work with over 1100 suppliers. Through our scale and reach, we deliver value at a national level on behalf of the whole healthcare system to support the NHS to save lives and improve health. 

Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL) is the company at the heart of NHS Supply Chain. It provides oversight and operational management for NHS Supply Chain and its service providers. SCCL is the legal entity through which NHS Supply Chain undertakes its procurement services and transacts with customers and suppliers. Whilst its shares are owned by NHS England, SCCL is a separate organisation.