Major investment into new surgical robot

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has made a major investment to purchase a new surgical robot that will improve patient care.

The Trust is delighted to announce it has bought a new surgical robot, for use across our General Surgery, Urology and Gynaecology departments, that will allow our surgeons to conduct operations in a less invasive way. Robotic technology is continually advancing and developing, and over time we will be able to apply its use to more specialties and more patients.

Across the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board region, a commitment has been made to invest in the latest technology.

To meet that ambition, last year the Trust developed plans to deliver more operations using the most modern equipment.

The first stage of implementing this plan has been to purchase a Versius robot from the industry leading providers, CMR Surgical.

The Versius machine is expected to help reduce the length of time they spend in hospital and reduce the chance of infection and complications. 

Robotic technology has been developed over many years and is already in operation in other parts of the NHS.  It means surgeons can operate with higher levels of precision, and perform complex procedures with minimal access, while ensuring the highest levels of patient safety. 

With access to better technology, this investment is also going to help make the Great Western Hospital a more attractive place to work as a surgeon.

The Trusts’ Chief Medical Officer, Jon Westbrook, said:

“This is an important investment for the Trust, and an important example of one of the many improvements we are making. It will improve care for our patients and allow them to leave hospital sooner.

We are committed to reducing health inequalities, and this purchase means our local population are less likely to have travel long distances for this important robotic surgery.

It will also help us continue to recruit and retain the very best surgeons here in Swindon and share our specialist knowledge with our local health partners.”

The Versius machine has arrived at the hospital and is being integrated to our existing theatre space.

Our surgeons are undergoing training on the Versius system, ahead of the first operation taking place later this year.

Ana Raduc, General Manager of UK and Ireland at CMR Surgical, said:

"At CMR Surgical, our goal in designing Versius was to provide a versatile surgical robotic system that could transform the field of minimal access surgery, so that more patients can benefit from the highest quality of surgical care.

With the installation of Versius at Great Western Hospital, we are excited to work closely with the team on the delivery of a multi-specialty programme to help improve patient care, whilst also maximising efficiencies for the hospital thanks to its innovative digital ecosystem.”