Cancer patients could begin receiving life-saving radiotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) within two months, as officials confirmed on Friday the long-delayed linear accelerator is set to become operational by mid-September.
If all goes according to plan, the QEH will begin offering radiotherapy treatment on-island in another two months— a development many hope will significantly reduce delays, costs, and patient distress.
The commitment came from senior hospital officials, who confirmed that installation of the $10m radiotherapy machine is now scheduled for mid-August, with the first patient treatments anticipated by mid to late September.
The announcement follows weeks of public concern and pressure from top government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, a breast cancer survivor who, speaking in Parliament, described the delays as unacceptable, warning: “We have people dying while waiting.”
She urged immediate action to bring the machine into service.
Addressing journalists in the hospital’s boardroom at a press briefing, QEH Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark acknowledged the recent attention the delays have attracted.
He said: “This linear accelerator is a state-of-the-art cancer-treatment machine that arrived in Barbados last year. Let me be clear, it was always intended to bring the equipment onto the island as early as possible so that it would be ready for installation as soon as the designated space at the QEH was prepared.
“This proactive approach was to ensure that there would be no delays in shipping or customs clearance once the site was ready.”
Clark explained that two main factors contributed to the prolonged timeline.
He said: “One of the factors contributing to the delay has been the extended timeline associated with the procurement of the necessary civil works. These civil works are essential to ensure the facility meets the international safety and technical standards required for the installation of such advanced equipment.
“In addition, structural and remedial works required to house and operate the machine have also taken longer than anticipated. These works are complex and involve specialised engineering and different subcontractors to ensure compliance with international safety and performance standards for radiotherapy equipment.”
Clark stressed that the delays were not due to inaction but rather a deliberate effort to ensure the facility meets global best practice.
The QEH has worked with the Ministry of Health to continue supporting cancer patients through overseas treatment arrangements, ensuring no one was left without care, the hospital CEO said.
“Works are now well advanced, and we are in the final stages of preparing the site for installation,” he added. “When operational, this linear accelerator will significantly expand our capacity to deliver high-quality cancer care right here in Barbados.”
Giving a technical update, QEH Physicist and Project Coordinator Corey Drakes said “99 per cent” of the civil works were now complete, and all systems were ready for the next phase.
“We can expect a final site visit,” Drakes said. “That should take place at the end of July. After that site visit, once everything is satisfactory, then we would have the linear accelerator rigging and installation, scheduled to take place in the middle of August 2025. And we can expect our first treatment somewhere between mid to late September 2025.”
He told reporters that an auxiliary building has been built to house rooms for the hospital’s server, storage, batteries and control equipment—essential components for the system to work.
Drakes said the necessary rigging and software installation were already under way and that a number of activities must still take place before treatments can begin, including ensuring that the machine is fit for clinical use.
He added: “We’re going to get some support from Washington University physicists to assist with this verification testing, and we are also expecting visits from the International Atomic Energy Agency. They’re sending two experts just to audit the transition to ensure that it’s done in alignment with best practices and the international standard.”
While everything is on track for the September launch, Drakes cautioned that, given the complexity of the process, the hospital is remaining flexible.
“Because of the number of players and moving parts, anything can happen and sometimes some things are out of our control. So we want to maintain close communication between the riggers, installers, specialists… to ensure timelines are met.”
He added that weekly internal project meetings are being held to keep key staff updated.
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