Milton Keynes patients to benefit from cancer treatment closer to home

The doors have officially opened to a new radiotherapy centre in Milton Keynes, sparing hundreds of cancer patients from travelling to Oxford for treatment. Radiotherapy patients Jen McAuliffe and Martin Flynn cut the ribbon, as two of the more than 200 patients who have been treated so far.

OUH Radiotherapy @ Milton Keynes is run by a multi-disciplinary team from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) and is linked to the Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Trust (MKUH) cancer centre.

The patients were joined at the opening event by clinicians and senior staff, as well as representatives from Milton Keynes City Council, construction firm Morgan Sindall, Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, NHS England and managed equipment service provider Ergéa UK. As an expansion of OUH’s radiotherapy service, the centre is expected to save 6,500 round trips of approximately 70 miles each year.

Built to allow for future expansion, OUH Radiotherapy @ Milton Keynes houses a linac, CT scanner, main reception and consultation rooms. There is internal access to MKUH’s cancer centre and space for a second linac.

Operational manager at the centre Donna Hughes said: “The team here is incredibly proud to have been part of realising this long-standing vision for the people of Milton Keynes, ensuring that many more patients can now receive vital radiotherapy treatment closer to home.

“Their dedication and commitment have been instrumental in bringing this important new service to life. It stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration between two NHS trusts and reaects the very best of partnership working within the NHS.”

McAuliffe was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2024 and has since completed chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. While she had to travel to Oxford for her consultation and first treatment, the opening of the new centre meant she could complete the rest of her radiotherapy locally. She said: “Being able to complete the treatment in Milton Keynes made a huge difference to me and my family. I have young children and was worried about how we would manage with the travel to and from Oxford each day.”

Flynn has prostate cancer and had 37 radiotherapy treatments over eight weeks. “I consider myself very fortunate and grateful that my treatment was carried out in Milton Keynes,” he said. “The team at Milton Keynes, led by Donna Hughes, has been brilliant.”

Ergéa UK CEO David Rolfe said: “We are incredibly proud of our long-standing managed service partnership with OUH, which has enabled the delivery of state-of-the-art equipment and technology for the new radiotherapy centre in Milton Keynes.”

Lead picture: patients Martin Flynn and Jen McAuliffe with (left) operational manager at OUH Radiotherapy Donna Hughes, left. Credit – Oxford Medical Illustration.

Read this report on the front page of the August 2025 issue of RAD Magazine.