The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has helped to bring revolutionary radiotherapy cancer treatment equipment to the north-east and Cumbria.

A new, state-of-the-art ‘Cyber Surgery’ service will be installed at the Freeman Hospital’s Northern Centre For Cancer Care, thanks to a £850,000 donation from the Foundation in collaboration with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other north-east charities.

The equipment will be the first of its kind in the UK outside London and will dramatically improve the accuracy of radiotherapy treatment delivery and used to treat tumours which are currently inoperable.

The Foundation’s massive contribution to the appeal which, with a £1.8 million investment from the Trust and an additional contribution of £150,000 from the Newcastle Healthcare Charity, was enough to finally secure the equipment

Professor Ruth Plummer, Sir Bobby Robson’s oncologist and a trustee of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, said: “Sir Bobby launched this charity to make a genuine difference to other people fighting cancer and that’s just what we’ll do with this new equipment.

“Lady Elsie, Sir Bobby’s sons and all the Foundation’s medical trustees are all very excited by this latest generation of cyber surgery and what it will mean for patients. This equipment will allow us to research how best to use radiotherapy with some of the new drugs we have and so improve treatment for patients.

“It’s the largest contribution the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has made to date and we feel certain Sir Bobby would back our decision.  He would be very proud knowing the legacy he has left us through the charity is helping fund such important work – not only in helping treat people with cancer now but in the wider fight against the disease.

“It is a truly world-class facility which will work in tandem with the drug trials within the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre and new scanning made possible thanks to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation PET Tracer Production Unit.

“We’re fitting together pieces of a very special jigsaw here to help fight cancer and all thanks to the wonderful and generous support given to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.”

It is expected that the equipment will be in place from mid March 2013 and following a period of commissioning, be fully operational by the Autumn.