Icon Group has announced plans to operate purpose-built cancer centres in Bedlington, Newport and Reading, expanding regional oncology capacity in areas where demand for cancer services continues to grow.
The investment will bring the Rutherford Health facilities back into operation, with capacity to support NHS systems and reduce travel burdens for private patients, thus strengthening regional radiotherapy and oncology services.
The purpose-built centres will be referred to as Icon Cancer Centre North East, Icon Cancer Centre South Wales and Icon Cancer Centre Thames Valley, and support access to integrated cancer care in regions where patients currently face limited local provision, fragmented care pathways or significant travel for treatment.
Icon Cancer Centre will bring world class radiotherapy, systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) – including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy, imaging and consulting services to the North East, South Wales and Thames Valley regions with capacity to treat more than 1,500 patients a year.
These services will be delivered by highly skilled multidisciplinary teams of up to 100 professionals across radiotherapy, radiography, medical physics, oncology nursing, pharmacy, and administration.
Mark Middleton OAM, Group CEO, Icon Group, said: “The number of people being diagnosed with cancer continues to rise and there is a clear need to deliver the best cancer care possible, closer to home.
“Icon has a strong track record of investing responsibly in the UK to expand access to lifesaving cancer care, working in partnership with local health ecosystems in a way that genuinely supports local people.
“Healthcare infrastructure is a valuable community asset, and our focus is on ensuring that important cancer care facilities continue to serve the people who rely on them.
“These three centres represent an opportunity to restore critical cancer infrastructure and ensure it delivers sustainable, high-quality care for the communities that depend on it.”
The centres will be designed to deliver high-quality, patient-centred cancer care, supported by the latest advanced technology and AI-enabled workflows that help clinicians plan and deliver more precise radiotherapy treatment.
With this infrastructure and technology, Icon will deliver personalised care for patients, including faster treatment planning, improved accuracy and, where clinically appropriate, fewer treatment sessions.
Dr Penny Kechagioglou, Chief Medical Officer, Icon UK, said: “Every patient is different, so our emphasis is on delivering care that is carefully coordinated, clinically led and centred on the individual.
“Radiotherapy is a vital part of cancer treatment but underutilised in the UK. Bringing these assets back online creates more access for cancer patients needing life-saving therapy.
“Every patient with cancer should have access to the right treatment at the right time and as close to home as possible. Bringing these centres back into use will help make that a reality for more people.”
Icon’s plans to reopen centres in Bedlington, Newport and Reading underscore its commitment to bringing cancer care closer to home across the UK via significant investment in technology and infrastructure.
The new Reading centre, located at Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, will serve a general population catchment of around 1.6 million people across the Thames Valley.
Icon Cancer Centre will be equipped with advanced radiotherapy technology designed to support precise, personalised cancer treatment. This includes stereotactic radiotherapy, an advanced form of external beam radiotherapy that can deliver highly targeted treatment to certain tumour types in fewer treatment sessions where clinically appropriate.
AI-enabled tools and automation will support radiotherapy planning, helping clinicians assess changes in patient anatomy and create treatment plans more efficiently, while surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT) technology will help position and monitor patients during treatment without the need for permanent skin tattoos traditionally used for alignment. Together, these innovations support accurate treatment delivery and an improved patient experience.
