Light Medical at BNMS 2026
Nuclear Medicine, Radiopharmaceuticals and Radiation Protection at Manchester Central
Published by Light Medical | April 2026 | lightmedical.co.uk
The BNMS Annual Spring Meeting 2026 brought the nuclear medicine community together at Manchester Central Convention Complex from 20–22 April — and what a three days it was. Celebrating 60 years of the British Nuclear Medicine Society, this year's event was the largest and most significant BNMS meeting in recent memory, drawing together medical physicists, nuclear medicine clinicians, Radiation Protection Advisers (RPAs), radiopharmacists, and nuclear medicine technologists from across the UK and beyond.
The Light Medical team was proud to be in attendance, representing our range of specialist products and reconnecting with colleagues, customers, and suppliers across the nuclear medicine supply chain.
Celebrating 60 Years of Nuclear Medicine in the UK
The BNMS was founded in 1966 as the Nuclear Medicine Society, and this anniversary meeting felt genuinely historic. Keynote sessions reflected on the extraordinary advances in nuclear medicine over six decades — from early diagnostic imaging through to the current revolution in theranostics and targeted alpha therapy. It was a fitting backdrop for discussing where the field is heading next.
For a specialist supplier like Light Medical, moments like this reinforce why our work matters. The products we supply — radiation shielding, calibration sources, sealed radioactive sources, and radiopharmaceuticals — are foundational to the day-to-day operation of every nuclear medicine department in the country.
What Light Medical Supplies to the Nuclear Medicine Community
For those new to Light Medical, we are a Runcorn-based B2B specialist supplier serving NHS nuclear medicine departments, medical physics teams, RPAs, and radiopharmacy units across the UK. Our core product areas include:
Radiation Shielding Products
We supply a comprehensive range of radiation shielding solutions for nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy environments, including:
Tungsten shielding — syringe shields, vial shields, and pig containers from leading manufacturers. Tungsten offers superior shielding performance compared to lead at equivalent thicknesses, making it the preferred choice in modern radiopharmacy workflows.
Lead shielding — traditional lead pots, lead-lined storage containers, and lead bricks for a range of radiation protection applications.
Leaded glass and radiation protection screens for workstation and dispensing area protection.
Our shielding range draws on trusted manufacturers including Nuclear shields and Raditech, covering both standard configurations and bespoke requirements.
Sealed Radioactive Sources and Calibration Sources
Light Medical supplies sealed radioactive sources for a wide range of applications in nuclear medicine physics, including:
Dose calibrator check sources — used for daily, weekly, and constancy checks on dose calibrators (ionisation chambers) across nuclear medicine departments. Common radionuclides include Co-57, Cs-137, Ba-133, and mixed gamma standards.
Flood sources — including Ge-68/Ga-68 fillable flood phantoms and Co-57 sheet sources for gamma camera uniformity testing and PET scanner quality assurance.
Reference standards — traceable calibration sources for medical physics quality assurance programmes.
We work with manufacturers RadQual and ERS to ensure our calibration source range meets the traceability and documentation requirements of NHS medical physics departments.
Radioactive Source Disposal
Managing the disposal of spent or unwanted sealed radioactive sources is a significant compliance burden for nuclear medicine departments and RPAs. Light Medical offers a managed radioactive source disposal service, handling the logistics, documentation, and regulatory compliance required under the Environmental Permitting Regulations and the conditions of site nuclear site licences. This is particularly valuable for departments managing legacy sources, decommissioned equipment, or sources approaching their safe use date.
Radiopharmaceuticals and Radiopharmacy Supply
Light Medical supports NHS nuclear medicine departments and radiopharmacies with procurement of radiopharmaceuticals, including short-lived generator-produced isotopes and longer-lived diagnostic and therapeutic agents. We work within the regulatory framework governing Schedule 5 radioactive medicines and can support departments navigating supply chain complexity, including the challenges of just-in-time delivery for short half-life products such as Tc-99m, Ga-68, and F-18.
Our relationships with European radiopharmaceutical manufacturers, Isoptopia and MRP mean we can support procurement teams with sourcing, pricing intelligence, and continuity of supply — particularly relevant given ongoing pressures in the global Mo-99/Tc-99m supply chain.
Key Themes from BNMS 2026
Several themes dominated discussion on the exhibition floor and in the scientific sessions at Manchester:
Alpha Therapy and Theranostics Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) and the broader theranostics concept continued to dominate the agenda. The growth of Lu-177 PSMA therapy, Ra-223 dichloride (Xofigo), and emerging Ac-225 programmes is transforming nuclear medicine into a genuine therapeutic discipline. For radiation protection and shielding suppliers, this creates important new demands — alpha emitters require careful consideration of shielding design, waste management, and source handling protocols.
Type-A transport cases The issues around the re-use of single use polymer pots continues.
Radiation Protection Compliance With IRR17 and IR(ME)R 2017 firmly embedded in UK practice, RPAs and radiation protection supervisors (RPSs) face ongoing compliance requirements around source inventory management, dose calibrator QA, and sealed source security. Light Medical's combination of calibration sources, disposal services, and shielding products positions us as a useful single point of contact for departments managing their radiation protection obligations.
Medical Workforce and Procurement Pressures Conversations with NHS medical physics colleagues highlighted familiar pressures: recruitment challenges, increased demand from expanding therapy programmes, and procurement constraints. We understand these pressures and aim to make specialist procurement as straightforward as possible — providing fast responses, clear documentation, and reliable supply.
Connecting with the Nuclear Medicine Community
Events like BNMS are invaluable for a specialist supplier. They allow us to meet the people who use our products in clinical practice, understand the challenges facing NHS departments, and stay close to the manufacturers and innovators driving the field forward. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to speak with us in Manchester.
If you were at BNMS 2026 and didn't get a chance to speak with us, or if you'd like to follow up on any of the products or services mentioned above, we'd be delighted to hear from you.
Get in Touch with Light Medical
Light Medical Ltd Specialist supplier of radiation shielding, calibration sources, radioactive source disposal, and radiopharmaceuticals to the UK nuclear medicine and radiation protection community.
🌐 www.lightmedical.co.uk 📍 Runcorn, Cheshire
Whether you need a quote for tungsten syringe shields, a disposal route for legacy sealed sources, or support with dose calibrator check source procurement, our team is ready to help.