PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Radiotherapy (15 December 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fully functional linear accelerators were used for radiotherapy treatment in the NHS in England in each of the last 10 years; and how many fractions of such treatment NHS England delivered in that period.

Asked by:
Debbie Abrahams (Labour)

England only data for the number of linear accelerators is only available for 2011-12 and 2013-14, as follows:

- 2011-12: 265 machines, however the details relating to full clinical use are not available.

- 2013-14: 269 machines, of which 256 in full clinical use.

From 2009-10 throughput has been measured in attendances. This was as a result of a drive to standardise coding practice across England. This answer therefore presents information on attendances for each of the years since 1999 and information on fractions up until 2009-10. A conversion factor of 1 fraction to 0.87 attendances has been used. The data available has been attached to this response.

Answered by:
Jane Ellison (Conservative)
18 December 2014