Tech predicted to cut waits for surgery

WAITING times for thousands of operations are set to be slashed by an army of NHS robots over the next 10 years.

- BY MARTIN BAGOT Health Editor

Robotic assistance is predicted to rise from two in 10 keyhole procedures to nine in 10 by 2035.

And in complex procedures their use is projected to increase from 70,000 to 500,000 a year over that time period. It means medics will be able to carry out millions more operations overall.

Robotic ops are controlled by a surgeon at a console using a 3D camera that allows for greater dexterity and precision.

It will become the default in many cases. In some surgery the robot is programmed to perform parts of the procedure.