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A radiotherapy centre cannot close for building work, and the Sunrise Centre is the National Health Service’s (NHS) only radiotherapy unit in Cornwall. Treating around 2,000 new patients a year, the centre delivers more than 1,800 courses of radiotherapy. Therefore, every linear accelerator (LINAC) replacement Rocare has carried out here has had to occur during a full clinical schedule, not despite it.
In the last sixteen months, Rocare has delivered two new linear accelerators for the Sunrise Centre:
Between them, the two rooms now treat cancer patients across Cornwall with greater precision and, according to Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT), in less time on the treatment bed.
Replacing a LINAC is not your standard fit-out. The equipment is heavier, more powerful and more sensitive to its surroundings than what it replaces, so the room has to change with it.
Key works on both suites included:
LA5 was also fitted with HyperSight software, funded by a £400,000 donation from the Sunrise Appeal. It delivers exceptionally clear images of tumours and surrounding tissue in just 45 seconds, giving clinicians more confidence in exactly where treatment is being delivered.
The Mullion Suite was not originally due for another twelve months. However, NHS England’s National Capital Fund, alongside RCHT’s own Capital Fund, awarded the Trust £2.61 million through its national radiotherapy equipment replacement fund, advancing the refurbishment by a year.
That meant running two LINAC replacements through the centre in close succession rather than the usual gap between programmes, with trades, deliveries and specialist commissioning sequenced across both rooms at once. RCHT Charity also contributed, funding the finishing touches, including the skylights and murals, that help improve the patient experience.
“Having not just one, but two, brand new state-of-the-art linear accelerators installed is a real game changer in helping us to reduce cancer waiting times in Cornwall and provide continued outstanding care to our patients.”
— Savvas Rizkalla, Head of Radiotherapy Physics, RCHT, via CornishStuff.
Rocare’s relationship with the Trust dates back to 2013, when the first Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator at the Sunrise Centre was installed in just 9 weeks. Since then, the work has gone well beyond LINAC replacements. Our team have been involved with the creation of a new staff changing room, lighting upgrades, better work areas for centre staff, and a full refurbishment of the circulation spaces around the treatment rooms.
Thirteen years of returning to the same building gives a working knowledge that a first-time contractor cannot match. It also means every room comes back finished to match the last one, not just to spec.
Before the two suites arrived, the service was running outdated equipment with no window to rebuild around. Now, two new treatment suites deliver more precise care in less time, built without a single day lost to patient treatment.
Rocare are an approved contractor for NHS Trusts and Local Health Authorities, with over 40 years of construction, restoration, and fit-out experience across the commercial, residential, and specialist sectors. Every project is assigned a dedicated manager from day one through to handover and aftercare, backed by health and safety accreditations including SafeContractor, CHAS, Constructionline and ISO 45001:2018.
If you are planning a refurbishment in a live healthcare environment, contact our team online or call 01425 482000.
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