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A new extension to the Plymouth Oncology Centre (POC) at Derriford Hospital has been officially opened by the Sparks family and Plymouth Argyle Football Club’s Kevin Nancekivell, in memory of the late BBC Radio Devon presenter and Argyle commentator, Gordon Sparks.
On Thursday 11 June 2026 a celebration was held to mark the official opening of the new £18.5 million building , which includes a new decant bunker housing a brand-new state-of-the-art linear accelerator (LINAC) to deliver external beam radiotherapy, as well as a dedicated High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy facility, to deliver internal radiotherapy. The extension also includes an impressive new entrance to the POC, as well as new offices for the Radiotherapy Physics, Treatment Planning and Clinical Trials teams.
“The new building has been many years in the making,” explains Chris Bowen, Radiotherapy Services Lead at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP). “For a number of years the Radiotherapy department has had three LINAC machines, all of which are older than we would like. Now, with the construction of a new radiotherapy decant bunker, we not only have the room for a brand-new, advanced treatment machine, but we can also begin to replace our older machines without affecting the service we deliver.”
The demand for radiotherapy steadily increases year upon year, with one in four cancer patients now requiring radiotherapy treatment during the course of their disease.
Radiotherapy treats cancer using beams of ionising radiation to target tumours. This radiation is produced either by a treatment machine (LINAC), which produces high powered x-rays delivered externally into the body, or by using radioactive isotope sources delivered internally close to the cancer (brachytherapy).
It is expected that the new £1.9 million LINAC machine will improve the precision and efficiency of treatment delivery, reduce individual treatment times, enhance patient access to advanced techniques and allow UHP to provide approximately 700 additional treatments of radiotherapy per year.
“Up until now, we’ve had to share one of the radiotherapy bunkers with the Brachytherapy service,” adds Chris. “The new dedicated Brachytherapy facility includes a treatment room, theatre area, patient waiting area and recovery spaces, which not only will provide a better patient experience overall, but it also allows us to expand the services for Brachytherapy, which we’ve been unable to do until now.”
The Radiotherapy team decided to dedicate the opening of the new facility to a former and fondly-remembered patient, Gordon Sparks. Following fundraising inspired by Gordon, donations were made to The Chestnut Appeal and to Plymouth Hospitals Charity’s Mustard Tree Fund, which supports patients and families using the Mustard Tree Macmillan Cancer Support Centre at Derriford Hospital.
Heather Sparks, Gordon’s wife, said: “Gordon was always passionate about Derriford Hospital, the staff and the service it provided. He liked to offer support when he could and when he needed treatment himself he was cared for excellently. I feel honoured to have been asked to open the new Plymouth Oncology Centre extension in Gordon’s memory. It is a wonderful tribute to him and the whole family are incredibly touched by this dedication.”
Heather cut the ribbon to officially open the new building, together with Argyle First Team Coach Kevin Nancekivell. Kevin visits Derriford Hospital every year with the Argyle squad to deliver Christmas presents to the children’s wards. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of Plymouth for his services to Argyle and to the city of Plymouth in 2025.
Kevin said: “I’m honoured and proud to be asked alongside Heather to open this new facility. This will, I’m sure, enhance the existing excellent standard of care that is provided at Derriford, and will reflect the commitment in providing the highest level of cancer care for everyone in Plymouth and the surrounding area.
“In opening this new facility, we are honouring Gordon Sparks, who, as everyone knows, was a much-loved member of Argyle and the city of Plymouth.”
Thanks to the new LINAC machine, UHP will soon begin to deliver Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) which, when available on all machines, will mean that patients will no longer need to have small tattoos made on their skin to enable their body to be lined up correctly for treatment. Instead, the new machine will utilise a scan of the patient's body position and contour, giving real-time feedback to the therapeutic radiographers during the patient’s set-up and treatment, to confirm the body position is correct before delivering any radiation dose. SGRT will also enable quicker and more accurate set-ups, as well as reducing the requirement for x-rays.
Chris Bowen adds: “Here at the Plymouth Oncology Centre we already offer a range of specialist services to our local and regional populations. As a relatively small department we punch well above our weight in terms of the range of services we are able to provide for our patients and are always looking for opportunities to improve and innovate. With the completion of this new extension and the new opportunities the new technology can provide, we are really excited that now we can further develop the service, advance our techniques and provide our patients with greater access to the latest treatment regimes.
“Our dedicated team of therapeutic radiographers, clinical scientists, engineers, treatment planners and dosimetrists are committed to delivering both clinical excellence and compassionate care. We aim to create a warm, welcoming and supportive environment throughout every patient’s cancer journey while ensuring they receive the expert treatment they need and deserve.”
