Prostate Cancer: Radiotherapy

The Department does not hold information on the number of National Health Service radiotherapy centres that currently have the equipment and workforce to deliver stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR). The Department expects that radiotherapy treatment centres will use all appropriate technology for treating patients, ensuring they receive the best possible care.

The responsibility for decisions on radiotherapy provision lies at local level with integrated care boards, however, the Department will also ensure that centres are incentivized to use SABR, including for eligible prostate cancer patients.

We continue to recruit priority medical specialties including clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, and clinical radiologists. We are also reforming training to support rapid development for radiologists. Additionally, NHS England also provides radiotherapy operational delivery networks with funding for local activity to support workforce development, based on local needs.

We intend to publish the 10 Year Workforce Plan shortly. The Plan will ensure the NHS has the right workforce, with the right skills and support, to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan, including our ambitions on cancer care and reducing waiting times.

The Department knows that there is a long way to go to improve waiting times for radiotherapy treatment, and that there is significant regional variation in performance. The National Cancer Plan has set out how we intend to tackle these issues, reduce backlogs and provide an NHS that there is when people need it.