Wellington Regional Hospital receives new radiation therapy LINAC

A new linear accelerator (LINAC) for radiation therapy has been installed at Wellington Regional Hospital in New Zealand. The $12.6 million upgrade, announced by Health Minister Simeon Brown, replaces an older machine and is the first of two LINACs being delivered to modernise oncology services across the Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley district.

The advanced LINAC uses camera‑based surface guidance to position patients precisely and monitor treatment, improving targeting of cancers such as breast, prostate, lung, head and neck, and gynaecological tumours while reducing exposure to healthy tissue. Brown said the equipment “means patients across the region can access more advanced, highly targeted cancer treatment closer to home.” The installation included months of commissioning and safety testing, and the hospital continued treating roughly 1,500 new patients annually throughout the upgrade. A second LINAC is scheduled for later this year.