The Edmonton hospital is set to get its second new radiotherapy machine in as many years after a government cash injection

NHS patients will soon benefit from faster cancer treatment thanks to the arrival of a new radiotherapy machine at North Middlesex University Hospital.

The new £3.5million linear accelerator (Linac) machine will more precisely target tumours, causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. 

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest cancer providers in the NHS and the new machine – which replaces an older machine at North Mid – will play a part in helping the trust reduce delays to treatment and could also reduce the number of visits a patient needs to make by half.

The government is investing £70m in total for 28 machines across England, as part of its plans to improve cancer care in the NHS.

For North Mid, it will be the second new radiotherapy machine installed at the Edmonton hospital in as many years after a previous machine was unwrapped just in time for Christmas 2023.

The Linac machine will also increase the availability of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) cancer treatments, which can more precisely target tumours.   It is due to become operational by March 2026.

Roopinder Gillmore, Royal Free London’s lead cancer physician, said: “Having up to date equipment supports us in our aim to provide our cancer patients with world class care and treatment with as little delay as possible.”

Enfield North MP Feryal Clark, a government minister at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, having previously worked in pathology prior to entering politics, said: “A cancer diagnosis can turn life upside down for patients and their families. That’s why I’ve been pushing for faster, fairer access to world-class treatment for constituents.

“Everyone deserves the best possible care, delivered quickly and with dignity. I know how much this matters to people in Enfield North, and I’m proud that our community will benefit from faster, safer, and more advanced treatment thanks to this new cutting-edge technology.

“Our Labour government inherited an NHS in crisis, but we are determined not just to fix what was broken, but to build an NHS that is stronger, fairer, and ready for the future: one that gives hope back to those facing the toughest of times.”

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