Nottingham Radiotherapy Service

Radiotherapy is a highly accurate treatment that uses high energy X-rays to treat cancer cells in a specific area. It delivers doses of radiation to cancer cells or a tumour whilst sparing as much normal tissue as possible.

The Nottingham Radiotherapy Service is the specialist treatment centre for Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands and we have invested heavily in new technology and equipment in order to be able to provide the best treatments including Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT). 

Our department serves a population of 1.1 million people and provides NHS and private radiotherapy treatments. In addition to the standard radiotherapy treatments for the population of Nottinghamshire, we provide the following specialist and innovative treatments for Nottinghamshire and a wider population:

• Image guided Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Due to our size, expertise and experience we have numerous options in order to offer the  most appropriate treatment for our patients.
  • Tomotherapy IMRT- is one of the most advanced integrated cancer treatment systems.
  • Volume Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) - is a new intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment technique that combines 3D volumetric imaging and advanced treatment planning expertise.
• IMRT and VMAT are methods of delivering the radiation so that the high dose radiation region closely conforms to the shape of the volume being treated, sparing radiation to the surrounding normal tissues without compromising target coverage and patient safety.

• Due to our location within the City Campus of the major Nottingham University Hospitals, we have excellent access to specialist diagnostic equipment. Therefore specialist diagnostic Computerised Tomography (CT) / Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) fusion for treatment planning is routinely carried out for central nervous system (CNS) and prostate patients. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) /CT fusion is becoming routine clinical practice.
• Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT). Imaging of the patient before or during the treatment session improves our ability to concentrate the dose on the target volume. Using IGRT gives us more confidence in lowering complication rates and potentially escalating the tumour dose.
• CHART (continuous hyper-fractionated accelerated radiotherapy) for certain lung cancers
• Total body irradiation in preparation for bone marrow or stem cell transplants
• Total skin electron therapy
• Paediatric radiotherapy
• High dose rate brachytherapy for a variety of indications

Radiotherapy Equipment

• 5 Elekta linear accelerators (four Synergy linacs with 3D volumetric cone beam image guidance and VMAT from 2012)
• Tomotherapy HiArt treatment unit (Image guided IMRT)
• Nucletron digital HDR brachytherapy unit
• Xstrahl superficial x-ray unit
• 2 Aquillion LB CT scanners with breathing gating
• Nucletron Evolution simulator with CBCT
• Treatment planning equipment:
  • ProSoma virtual simulation workstations
  • OMP planning workstations
  • Tomotherapy planning workstations
  • Monaco planning workstation
  • MIMVista advanced oncology workstation

Patients Referred for Radiotherapy- Who Will be Looking After Me?

Many people will be involved in your care:

The doctor who prescribes and plans your radiotherapy is a cancer specialist called a clinical oncologist. She/he will see you at agreed intervals during your course of treatment to check on your progress. You may not always see the consultant as they work with a team of doctors who are training in this speciality. If you are an out-patient and have an urgent medical problem overnight or at the weekend you should call your GP, who can contact the doctor on call at the hospital if they need to. In addition to their NHS commitments, some of the clinical oncologists may treat you in our specialist Radiotherapy Service privately.

Radiographers give you the treatment each time. They are highly trained in radiotherapy and patient care, and work closely with the oncologist and radiotherapy physicist in planning your treatment. Where possible you will see the same radiographers throughout your course of treatment so you get to know each other quite well. They can give you help and advice about any aspect of your treatment, and you can discuss any of your concerns or anxieties with them.

A radiotherapy physicist is an expert in radiation physics and works with the oncologist to plan out the best way of giving the treatment. Medical physics technicians work with the physicist and are involved in treatment planning and preparation. The physics team is also responsible for maintaining the accuracy of the treatment machines and producing specialist equipment.

The oncology unit includes a dietician, physiotherapists, and an occupational therapist. If you would like to see any member of  this team your radiographers can arrange it for you.

Key Contacts Details

Radiotherapy Reception  
0115 962 7995 Direct dial number

Information and Support Radiographer Team:  Lorraine Fulman, Liz Ford, Liz Stones, Emma Hallam and Karen Waite
0115 962 7976 direct dial number- with answer phone.

If you, or your relatives, have any questions about radiotherapy or would like to talk to someone in more detail about any aspect of your treatment please contact our information and support radiographers. They can talk to you on the telephone, arrange to see you when you come to the hospital or visit you at home if you feel that would be more helpful.

In addition onsite at the City Campus you can access the dedicated Macmillan Cancer Support and Information Centre and a wonderful Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre  

Radiotherapy Services Manager - Russell Hart. 0115 969 1169 extension 76214

Opening Times / Walk in Clinic / Available From

The department is open Monday to Friday, normally 8.30am to 6pm

Radiotherapy is an outpatient department.  Patients on treatment who have medical problems outside the working hours of the department should contact their GP out of hours service

Opening Evenings

Making / Changing / Cancelling an Appointment

Patients should be referred by their GP to an appropriate specialist in the first instance. Radiotherapy can only accept referrals from our specialist doctors called Clinical Oncologists. 

Radiotherapy itself cannot be booked via choose and book and once appointments have been made they cannot be changed using the trusts online form.

If a patient is expecting an appointment in radiotherapy, or for patients who already have an appointment they wish to change or cancel then they should contact either:

• Radiotherapy reception - 0115 962 7995  or
• Radiotherapy information and Support - 0115 962 7976

Locations

The Radiotherapy service is located in two sites on the City Hospital Campus (NG5 1PB). The Nottingham Radiotherapy Centre is situated on the North of the campus near the purple entrance (N18). It is at junction N18 on the hospital sitemaps.

The South Radiotherapy Department is on the south corridor, on the lower ground floor, close to the south entrance.  It is at junction S2 on the hospital sitemaps.

Other Related NUH Services

• Hospital site maps
• Transport services
• Medilink services
• Parking information
• The Nottingham Cancer Centre

Links to other Internet sites for further information

• Cancer Information - Macmillan Cancer Support
• Maggies Cancer Caring Centres
• www.cancerresearchuk.org
• www.breastcancercare.org.uk
• www.prostate-cancer.org.uk
• www.clicsargent.org.uk
• National Cancer Action Team- delivering world class radiotherapy

Web editors/content co-ordinators

Russell Hart, Radiotherapy Services Manager. 0115 969 1169 ext 76214