The UK government allocated GBP250 million to build two proton-beam cancer therapy centers. The move was after UK aims to be at par with other European countries and the US that already is offering the treatment.

The new centers will be located in Manchester and London. The centers would serve 1,500 patients starting 2018, announced Public Health Minister Anna Soubry in a statement today. UK has been sending around 100 patients annually to the US for the radiotherapy treatment of difficult to cure cancers.  The National Health Service of UK estimated a cut on treatment costs by half after the establishment of the new therapy centers.

In a statement issued by Soubry, she said that the country's investment in proton-beam therapy facilities would allow more patients to be treated in UK. This would reduce stress for patients and their families to travel to the US to get the innovative treatment.