The NHS expects robot-assisted techniques to be used in nine out of 10 keyhole operations within the next decade, up from around one in five today, as part of plans to cut elective care waiting times.
Robotic surgery allows surgeons to control precision instruments using a console with a 3D camera, offering greater dexterity than standard keyhole surgery, which involves small incisions and is less invasive than open procedures.
In 2023/24, 70,000 robot-assisted procedures were carried out in NHS hospitals.
That number is projected to rise to 500,000 a year by 2035, following the publication of NHS England’s first national guidance on how
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.”
Patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery often recover faster and are discharged sooner.
For example, some bladder cancer patients have left hospital in five days—half the time typically required after traditional open surgery.
The NHS also anticipates more emergency procedures using robotic systems, which can offer greater precision than the human hand.
Eleven robotic systems have received conditional approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) while they undergo further evaluation.
Five are for soft tissue procedures such as hernia repair, gallbladder removal and tumour excision, and six are for orthopaedic procedures, including full and partial knee replacements and hip replacements.
John McGrath, consultant surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust and chair of the NHS England steering committee for robotic-assisted surgery, said the technology could make complex procedures less physically demanding for surgeons and more efficient for hospitals.
He 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 out 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.”
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting, who underwent robotic surgery for kidney cancer, 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.”
