Millions of patients will benefit from cutting-edge NHS robotic surgery over the next decade as part of radical plans to cut waiting times. Half a million operations will be supported with this approach, every year by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24, according to NHS projections.
9 in 10 of all keyhole surgeries, such as the removal of certain organs affected by cancer, will be delivered with robot assistance within the next 10 years, up from 1 in 5 today with robotic surgery being the default for many operations.
The NHS also expects to see increasing numbers of emergency operations using the space-age tech – which can be more precise than the human hand. The new NHS England forecast follows the publication of its first ever national guidance on how robotic programmes should be delivered.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS Chief Executive, said: “The NHS has pledged to return to shorter elective waiting times by 2029 and we are using every tool at our disposal to ensure patients get the best possible treatment. Expanding the use of new and exciting tech such as robotic surgery will play a huge part in this.
“Not only does it speed up the number of procedures the NHS can do, but it also means better outcomes, a faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients”.
Compared to traditional keyhole surgery, robotic surgery allows greater dexterity and is easier to manipulate as the instruments are controlled by a surgeon at a console using a 3D camera. In orthopaedic robot procedures, the robot is programmed to perform elements of the procedure
Patients undergoing surgery involving robots are able to recover quicker and be discharged sooner, with some bladder cancer patients leaving hospital in just 5 days – half the expected time with traditional open surgery.
In recent years, the range of operations involving robots has widened – in 2011/12 urological cancer surgery made up 80%, but by 2023/24 this relative proportion dropped to 44% even though the number of operations had increased, as there was significant growth in areas such as colorectal, gynaecology, ear, nose and throat, and orthopaedic procedures.
5 systems for soft tissue procedures, such as hernia repair, removal of tumours, and gallbladder removal, and 6 for orthopaedic surgery, such as full and partial knee replacement procedures and hip replacements, have received conditional approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) while they undergo further evaluation, meaning the use of this technology can be expanded further across the NHS to help thousands more patients.
John McGrath, Consultant surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust, and Chair of the NHS England Steering Committee for Robotic Assisted Surgery, said: “Robot-assisted surgery is a perfect example of innovation improving patients’ care and transforming the way the NHS works – the number of procedures being carried is set to rapidly grow over the next 10 years according to our analysis.
“As keyhole surgery continues to develop and scale up in the NHS, it is likely that many of these procedures will be provided with degrees of robot assistance in the future – importantly as the costs come down and efficient patient pathways are embedded in robotic programmes.
“Faster recovery and shorter hospital stays are not only hugely important benefits for patients undergoing surgery, if used efficiently they can have a positive impact on the rest of the system by relieving pressure on services and therefore helping to reduce waiting times.
“Robot-assisted surgery can also make complex operations less physically demanding for surgeons, with the potential to reduce strain on surgical teams, allowing a greater number of complex surgeries to be carried out each day.
“The approval of 11 systems by NICE was a milestone in the continuing development of this technology and our newly-published national strategy will help ensure patients across the country are able to access this treatment when they need it, regardless of location”.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Innovative treatments and technologies that help fast track better outcomes for patients is how we transform our NHS and make it fit for the future. I know myself how important this is, when the NHS saved my life from kidney cancer with an operation led by a world-class surgeon being helped by a robot.
“Whether it’s robotic surgery, our new health data research service to accelerate the development of new medicines, or announcing new artificial intelligence that detects skin cancer, our Plan for Change is driving forward new ways to help cut waiting lists and get patients treated on time again.
“We have put a record £26 billion into our NHS and social care which includes cash to bring more cutting-edge tech into the health service to boost productivity, speed up recovery rates, and get people back to their best as soon as possible”.
