RADIOTHERAPY services at Guildford’s Royal Surrey County Hospital will be boosted by a brand new state-of-the art linear accelerator.

The Varian Truebeam machine is the hundredth to be installed by the firm in the UK and Ireland.

Royal Surrey chairman Sue Sjuve joined clinicians and colleagues to celebrate receipt of the milestone piece of equipment.

Around four in 10 of all NHS cancer patients are treated with radiotherapy, which typically uses high-energy radiation from a linear accelerator or Linac.

The Royal Surrey currently runs seven Linacs over two sites, which are used to treat 3,200 NHS patients each year.

The new Linac will replace a machine that is 11 years old with the latest model, ensuring patients continue to benefit from the most up-to-date precision treatments.

It is hoped that it will be fully clinically operational and treating patients by early autumn.

Sue said: “Modern radiotherapy plays a vital role not only in survival, but also relieving the symptoms of cancer patients.

“The continued investment in service at St Luke’s Cancer Centre will ensure that the people of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex have access to cutting edge cancer treatment.”

Adele Lyons, Varian Medical Systems’ UK/Ireland sales director added: “The NHS has invested heavily in new radiotherapy and radio-surgery treatment technologies and the UK is the first country in Europe to install 100 TrueBeam systems, our flagship product.

“St Luke’s Cancer Centre is one of the UK’s premier radiation oncology departments and it’s fitting that such a pioneering hospital should receive this milestone machine.”

Pictured from left, Adele Lyons, Professor Andrew Nisbet, head of medical physics, Sue Sjuve, Marianne Dabbs, head of radiotherapy.