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Radiotherapy Services

Volume 453: debated on Thursday 23 November 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group to report; and if she will make a statement on the future of NHS radiotherapy services. (102432)

The National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) is now in the final stages of completing its review and we expect Ministers to receive its findings and recommendations before the end of the year.

Good progress has been made on improving radiotherapy services. Since 1997 for example, there has been a 53 per cent. increase in clinical oncologists and a 31 per cent. increase in the total number of therapeutic radiographers. The total stock of linear accelerators has also increased from 140 in 1997 to 215 as of August 2006.