Sustainable capital funding for modern and innovative radiotherapy services

TL;DR

This paper discusses the need for sustainable funding to modernize radiotherapy services as responsibilities shift to local health boards in England.

Contribution

It proposes a long-term, ringfenced funding model to support innovative and person-centered radiotherapy services.

Findings

Radiotherapy equipment costs make up 62% of delivery costs.

Current national health capital spending constraints have left radiotherapy infrastructure underfunded.

The National Cancer Plan offers a chance to create a sustainable funding model for radiotherapy.

Abstract

Radiotherapy providers are dependent on capital investment in equipment, which makes up 62% of the cost of delivering radiotherapy. The commissioning of radiotherapy services and duty to replace equipment is currently held by NHS England, but this responsibility and funding will be delegated to all Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). With constraints in national health capital spend over the past decade leaving radiotherapy infrastructure depleted, ICBs are set to inherit an expensive task of updating and replacing radiotherapy equipment. The upcoming National Cancer Plan presents the opportunity for a long-term solution to the renewal and investment in radiotherapy equipment, through rolling ringfenced funding from Government.This paper is part of a series of three papers, on (1) radiotherapy tariff, (2) radiotherapy capital spending and (3) holistic aspects of radiotherapy funding, which together consider what a sustainable, innovative and person centred radiotherapy funding model looks like as specialised services are delegated to Integrated Care Boards.

This paper is part of a series of three papers, on (1) radiotherapy tariff, (2) radiotherapy capital spending and (3) holistic aspects of radiotherapy funding, which together consider what a sustainable, innovative and person centred radiotherapy funding model looks like as specialised services are delegated to Integrated Care Boards.