Nobody wants to see the delivery of life-saving radiotherapy treatment disrupted, for any reason. Unfortunately, cyberattacks, environmental hazards and technical failures are among the numerous unplanned interruptions that can and do happen and can lead to prolonged downtime.

These disruptions can’t always be predicted or prevented – but they can be prepared for. That’s exactly what radiotherapy centres across Canada have done in collaborating on the development of a collective approach to navigating unplanned and extended downtime.

Developed by the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR), a standing committee of CAPCA, the Pan-Canadian Emergency Preparedness Framework for Unplanned and Extended Downtime for Radiotherapy Centres and its companion resource manual are now available, marking a meaningful step forward for everyone working to keep radiotherapy safe, accessible and uninterrupted for patients across the country.

Thank you to the Advisory Group members and the many individuals who contributed their time and expertise during the review process. Your efforts have helped to ensure these documents are practical, relevant, and reflective of real-world clinical and operational environments.

Both documents are available in English in CAPCA’s online resource centre.

We are working to make them available in French, too.