NHS Publishes £300m Contract for Surgery Robots

Overview

The National Health Service has launched a landmark public tender worth £300 million to procure and maintain surgery robots across UK hospitals. This initiative marks the largest robotics services award tracked by data specialist Tussell, and it aims to expand robotic-assisted procedures in both adult and paediatric medicine.

Tender Details

The contract invites bids from manufacturers and maintenance providers for robotic systems capable of performing:

• Coronary artery surgery
• Colon cancer resections
• Kidney disorder interventions

According to Tussell, no previous NHS robotics tender has exceeded £74 million—making this new deal a significant investment in robotics services. The last major contract was awarded by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for an automated pharmacy dispensing system.

Clinical Benefits

Robotic platforms offer greater precision in complex operations and can:

• Reach anatomical areas challenging for human hands
• Provide a stable third arm to hold instruments
• Minimise patient trauma and reduce recovery time

These systems are already common in procedures such as knee replacements and bowel tumor removals. Over the past decade, public sector spending on surgical robotics has surged—50 tenders were published in 2017 alone, up from 36 in 2016.

Future Applications

More than 25% of UK surgical hospitals now use robotic assistance, and adoption is set to rise further in 2018. Beyond the operating theatre, a leaked NHS England report suggests that within two years, AI-driven robots could handle NHS 111 helpline enquiries, streamlining patient triage and reducing call waiting times.

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