The radiotherapy department at a hospital has the highest rate in the country for an advanced treatment.

In the first quarter of 2014, the radiotherapy team at Queen’s hospital in Romford treated 55 per cent of patients with intensity modulated radiotherapy, the highest rate in the country.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University NHS trust (BHRUT), which runs the hospital, described it as an advanced technique which allows treatment to be delivered faster and more accurately.

This news comes despite the trust being placed in special measures last year after its standards of care was criticised by the Care Quality Commission, and is also in £40m of debt.

The radiotherapy department at Queen’s secured £670,000 last year from the Department of Health to improve care for cancer patients.

This money was used to upgrade two of the radiotherapy treatment machines to enable RapidArc, a state-of-the-art treatment delivery. 

The trust named the radiology department as its team of the year last week.

Lead Radiographer, Jackie Hartigan, said: “This achievement was possible because of the great commitment of our radiotherapy team, implementing the very latest technology for our patients.

“This has reduced side effects and increased disease-free survival. The team worked extremely hard and I am proud of them for putting our patients first and delivering excellent care.”