Radiotherapy

Our radiotherapy department is the sole NHS radiotherapy provider for Greater Manchester, although we also treat patients from Cheshire, Lancashire and beyond. A vital key to long-term survival for cancer patients is the immediate access to radiotherapy, particularly treatment with our fifteen linear accelerators

Our development areas for radiotherapy include intensity modulated radiotherapy and image guided radiotherapy. In the last two years we have opened two satellite centres to deliver radiotherapy at other centres in Greater Manchester, bringing the treatment closer to patients' homes.

Over the last few years we have had substantial investment in new and replacement equipment to expand and improve our radiotherapy treatment. On our main site in Withington we operate 11 linear accelerators, a superficial radiotherapy unit, two simulators, a CT simulator and a CT scanner. Our first satellite centre opened in 2010 in Oldham and our second satellite centre in Salford opened in July 2011. Both centres have two state-of-the-art linear accelerators and a CT simulator.

Everyone in our multi-disciplinary team has helped develop and maintain our ISO accredited service for 20 years.

Our therapy Radiographers support and contribute to every level of student learning from assistant through to advanced practitioner. Our staff are regularly invited to speak at international meetings and publish research in peer-reviewed and international journals.

Special features

We developed our own radiotherapy research facility - the Wade centre which became fully operational in 2002. It was one of four within a worldwide research consortium. And in July 2003 we became the first centre in the world to generate 3D on treatment kV images of a patient.

Radiographers employed in the Wade centre have become an integral part in our research from developing protocols and strategies to the analysis of study data. They have expanded their role to be part of a fully multi-disciplinary team.

The Salford satellite centre also offers a specialist stereotactic radiosurgery service which is currently used to treat small brain lesions.

Key clinical staff

  • Pat Lawrence, Lead Radiographer
  • Libby Mills - Principal Radiographer - Technical
  • Dawn Rushton - Principal Radiographer - Quality
  • Julie Stratford, Research Superintendent  Radiographer- Wade centre
  • Claire McCarthy - Stereotactic Radiosurgery specialist Radiographer
  • Julie Davies - Lead Radiographer for The Christie @ Oldham
  • Rachel Good - Lead Radiographer for the Christie @ Salford
  • Helen Thomas, Kath Dolan & Andrea Atherton - Pre-treatment Superintendent Radiographers
  • Charlotte Stackhouse, paediatric/central nervous system specialist Radiographer
  • Lucy Davidson- colorectal specialist Radiographer
  • Heather Rogers - specialist Radiographer in skin mark up
  • Hazel Pennington - Radiotherapy Clinical Education Lead
  • Martin Donnelly - radiotherapy bookings team supervisor

Main contact

Pat Lawrence, Lead Radiographer
Tel: 0161 446 3655
E-mail: Pat.Lawrence@christie.nhs.uk