Overview

• The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has authorized 11 robotic systems for NHS surgeries under a three-year evidence-gathering framework.
• Five systems are designed for soft tissue procedures, such as tumour removal and hernia repairs, while six focus on orthopaedic operations like knee and hip replacements.
• The rollout aims to reduce hospital stays, speed up recovery times, and lower complication risks while gathering data on clinical outcomes and resource use.
• Each robotic system costs between £500,000 and £1.5 million and will be deployed in specialist centres performing hundreds of operations annually.
• Robot-assisted surgery is set to play a vital role in the UK's forthcoming 10-year health plan, which emphasizes digital innovation and preventative care.