Displaying items by tag: hospital wait times

The NHS is planning a major expansion of robotic-assisted surgery to improve treatment times and patient outcomes. Currently, one in five keyhole surgeries is robot-assisted, but NHS England projects this will rise to 90% by 2035, with procedures increasing from 70,000 annually to around 500,000 over the next decade. Health secretary Wes Streeting, himself a kidney cancer survivor who benefited from robotic surgery, highlighted the potential of such technologies to transform healthcare delivery. Robot-assisted surgery enables greater precision, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stays. Surgeons operate using a console linked to robotic instruments and cameras, with some orthopaedic surgeries already partially automated. NHS leaders stress that embracing innovation, including robotics, AI, and data research, is essential to meet targets like reducing elective waiting times by 2029. John McGrath, chair of the NHSE robotic surgery committee, added that efficient use of robotic surgery could ease system-wide pressure. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to modernise the NHS and deliver faster, more effective care to patients across multiple medical fields.