Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that radiotherapy capital allocations distributed through Integrated Care Boards are protected.

The 2026/27 NHS Payment Scheme introduced a blended payment model for radiotherapy services. We are working to develop proposals to further refine the payment model for radiotherapy to ensure it aligns with current clinical practice and demand for services. Any updates would be subject to consultation for a future payment scheme.

The responsibility for capital investment in radiotherapy equipment sits with local systems. Since April 2022, funding for new radiotherapy machines has been allocated through system operational capital envelopes, with integrated care boards responsible for prioritising investment based on local need.

While capital funding is not ringfenced for specific services, NHS England provides national oversight and guidance to support systems in making investment decisions, including through established governance arrangements and criteria for allocating funding for radiotherapy machine replacement.

The Department is taking a number of steps, working with NHS England, to support access to modern radiotherapy techniques, including Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT).

The latest generation of radiotherapy machines forms part of a £70 million Government investment to roll out new equipment to every region of England, prioritising hospitals with ageing machines. This investment is improving access to modern radiotherapy techniques, including SGRT, by ensuring providers have the infrastructure needed to deliver more precise and efficient treatment.

In addition, National Health Service providers are increasingly adopting SGRT as part of modern radiotherapy pathways. Evidence from NHS trusts shows that SGRT can improve treatment accuracy, patient safety and efficiency, including through real‑time monitoring and reduced need for re‑positioning or additional imaging.