Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) has been given £1.8m to improve its cancer services.

NHS England yesterday announced the funding, which will be used to modernise radiotherapy care at Kent Oncology Centre.

MTW will be investing it in the replacement of a linear accelerator (LINAC), a machine used in the treatment.

David Fitzgerald, general manager for cancer and haematology at the Trust, added: “This funding is a big step forward for Kent Oncology and will allow us to continue to deliver the most advanced radiotherapy treatments to the population of Kent, Medway and East Sussex.”

The new LINAC will allow radiotherapy staff to target tumours which can vary in position during treatment, and will help to deliver treatment quickly and accurately while avoiding healthy tissues and organs.

Radiotherapy is one of the three main cancer treatments, alongside surgery and chemotherapy. Around four in 10 NHS cancer patients receive it.

In total NHS England will be making £130 million available to NHS Trusts across the country over three years to improve cancer treatment.

The Kent Oncology Centre treats more than 300 new patients every month and cares for a population of 1.8 million people. It provides radiotherapy services at Maidstone and Kent and Canterbury Hospitals.