Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to include policies on replacing older radiotherapy machines in the national cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care. Radiotherapy plays a crucial role in the care of many cancer patients, and we remain committed to continuing support for radiotherapy in the future.

In October 2024, as part of a broader investment across the health sector, the Government announced that £70 million would be spent on new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment. We expect that trusts will be fully using new machines by the end of June 2026.

The plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.