Over 9,000 robotic surgeries completed at North Bristol NHS Trust
- 19 June 2025
- More than 9,000 robotic surgeries have been completed to date at Southmead Hospital, part of North Bristol NHS Trust
- Surgical systems such as the da Vinci Xi are helping patients with a wide range of health conditions, including prostate and bladder cancer
- The trust also recently invested in two new robotic systems, bringing its total number to four
More than 9,000 robotic surgeries have been completed at Southmead Hospital, part of North Bristol NHS Trust, as the use of the technology across the NHS increases.
The trust has been using robotic surgeries since 2008 and has four da Vinci robots, including a dedicated gynaecology robot, from Intuitive, and a Modus X robotic neurosurgery microscope from Synaptive.
NHS England has projected that half a million operations will be supported by robotic surgery every year by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023 – 2024.
Tim Whittlestone, chief medical officer at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “Robotic surgery has the potential to be truly-life changing for both patients and hospital teams: it can enable quicker and kinder recoveries and allows surgeons to carry out more procedures.
“This means we are able to reduce waiting times and treat more patients than ever before.
“This investment in robotic surgery will not only benefit patients but will also support the professional development of our surgical colleagues, enhancing Bristol’s reputation for excellence in robotic-assisted surgery.”
Robotic surgery can offer shorter recovery times for patients, reduced blood loss, a reduced length of hospital stay and reduced rates of readmission.
According to projections earlier this month from NHS England, half a million operations will be supported by robotic surgery every year by 2035, up from 70,000 in 2023/24.
NHSE also say that nine in 10 keyhole surgeries, such as the removal of certain organs affected by cancer, will be delivered with robot assistance within the next 10 years, up from one in five today, with robotic surgery being the default for many operations.
Surgical systems such as the da Vinci Xi are helping people in Bristol and the surrounding area with a wide range of health conditions, including prostate and bladder cancer and gynaecology conditions like endometriosis.
John McGrath, consultant urological surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust and chair of the NHSE Steering Committee for Robotic Assisted Surgery, 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 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.
“Faster recovery and shorter hospital stays are not only hugely important benefits for patients undergoing surgery – if used efficiently they can have a positive impact on the rest of the system by relieving pressure on services and therefore helping to reduce waiting times.
“Robot-assisted surgery can also make complex operations less physically demanding for surgeons, with the potential to reduce strain on surgical teams, allowing a greater number of complex surgeries to be carried out each day.”
In April 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved the use of 11 robotic surgery systems in the NHS, to help transform care for thousands of patients undergoing soft tissue and orthopaedic procedures.
