ROBOTIC surgery will slash waiting lists in a decade, the head of the NHS will say today.
NHS England estimates robotic systems will be used in half a million operations a year by 2035, compared with 70,000 last year.
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That will include nine out of ten keyhole ops in the gut and pelvis, and increasing numbers of emergency surgeries.
Health service boss Sir Jim Mackey will say at an NHS conference today: “We have pledged to return to shorter elective waiting times by 2029 and we are using every tool at our disposal.
“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, faster recoveries and shorter hospital stays.”
Waiting lists in England are stubbornly high at 7.4million.
The total increased in March as demand soared at a time of staff and cash shortages.
Robot-assisted surgery uses super-precise mechanical arms that are electronically controlled by a surgeon and do internal operating work through tiny incisions on the body.
They can be used for many common operations including hernia repairs, organ removals, hip and knee replacements and cancer treatment.
Patients often have less blood loss, less scarring and need less anaesthetic, helping them recover faster.
More than 140 robots are already in use across the UK.
The NHS spending watchdog Nice recently approved 11 machines for use in England in the hope it will end a postcode lottery in their use.
