Hospital staff have been rapped after losing dangerous radioactive equipment used for treating cancer patients, writes Andrew French.

The Churchill Hospital, part of the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust, has been ordered to tighten procedures in a stinging report issued by a Government watchdog. The Environment Agency was called in to investigate the hospital, a world-famous centre for the treatment of cancer, after radiotherapy wires were removed from a patient and not properly disposed of. One was found shortly afterwards in a treatment room and the other nearly two weeks later under the sink in a nearby shower room.

The wires could have given off a highly dangerous level of radiation if handled by an unsuspecting member of the public. Yesterday, the agency said it had issued the trust with an enforcement notice under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The trust now has eight weeks to comply with its recommendations.

Spokesman Megan Turmezei promised a review of procedures and added: "No-one was hurt. A full review will take place and all appropriate action will be taken."

The Environment Agency regulates the holding of radioactive materials at hospitals, as well as disposal of radioactive waste. Paul Hughes, its inspector for the hospital, said: "The action taken was necessary. The enforcement notice will ensure that the public and the environment are better protected." Radioactive iridium 192 sources are used in radiotherapy treatment to kill tumours a procedure that is carried out in about 30 hospitals throughout the UK.

The wire is manually inserted into the patient's tumour via an incision, and stays in place for up to nine days.

The enforcement notice recommends that the hospital considers introducing an automatic unit to insert and remove the wires into a shielded container.

The Churchill Hospital carries out approximately 12 treatments of this kind each year. It has no history of reported incidents under the Radioactive Substances Act.