A new drive to boost the effectiveness of cancer treatment in the United Kingdom by using an advanced form of radiotherapy has been launched.

The Department of Health is inviting hospitals to bid to provide proton beam therapy―a type of radiotherapy in which a cyclotron produces a beam of protons.

Proton beam therapy can treat tumours without damaging vital organs because it targets the malignancy precisely, providing better dose distribution than conventional radiotherapy. It is particularly suitable for children.

The department has asked the NHS’s national specialised commissioning team to identify possible providers of proton beam services in England, though the services could be accessible to the whole of …