Continued investment into pioneering surgical robotics will help reduce strain on Scotland’s NHS and improve patient outcomes, a leading innovation agency has said.
InnoScot Health, which works to bring innovation to the health service, said the recent £2.5 million commitment to robotic surgery in NHS Forth Valley will enhance colorectal, gynaecology and urology services, including cancer care.
The agency believes the game-changing investment of some £25 million to date has been ‘vital’ to efficiency by easing waiting times and freeing up inpatient beds while allowing for more advanced treatment than was previously possible.
Graham Watson, executive chair of the organisation, said: “It is great news that NHS Forth Valley has now secured £2.5m of government funding to follow other health boards by introducing Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery (RAS).
“This is expected to enhance the delivery of complex surgery across colorectal, gynaecology and urology services, including cancer care. Since the Scottish Government first revealed plans five years ago to start rolling out the adoption of surgical robots, significant progress has been made, including 10,000 patients benefitting from RAS – a milestone for NHS Scotland which was announced this time last year.”
He added: “Every board which has been able to enjoy the benefits of RAS has similar success stories to report. The direction of travel is now clear – transforming patient outcomes, easing waiting list pressures, enhancing equity of access – and eventually RAS will become the standard for many operations, supplementing the country’s expert surgeons.
“There is so much potential, including AI integration to enhance imaging, analyse patient data for optimal personalised approaches, and support more autonomous, complex, and remote procedures.”
Another milestone was celebrated by University Hospital Hairmyres (UHH) last year when its surgical team successfully completed a 500th procedure since RAS was introduced to the hospital in 2022.
NHS Ayrshire and Arran has been a pioneer in robotic-assisted gynaecology surgery after launching the programme in 2023, delivering cutting-edge, minimally invasive treatment to more than 400 women since then with more than 95 per cent able to return home the same day.
For Scotland’s surgeons, the technology eliminates unintentional hand tremor, improves visualisation, dexterity and fluidity of movement, while allowing safer, more precise access to complex anatomical areas such as the pelvis, the chest, and oral cavity.
Scotland has also led the way in executing the first clinical cases of robotic aortic valve replacement (AVR) through a tiny incision in the neck, and this approach could potentially be applied to a wide range of cardiothoracic procedures.
