In brightly lit operating theaters across the UK, robotic arms are sharpening their scalpels. Their instruments are finer than the human wrist, and they can already cut through soft tissue with remarkable precision. It once seemed like science fiction, but by 2035, such scenes could become the norm in hospitals across England.
Under a sweeping new plan, robot-assisted surgery is set to become “the default” for 90% of all keyhole procedures. The initiative will transform how minimally invasive surgeries are done — and slash the country’s stubbornly long waiting lists in the process.
A revolution in the operating room
In 1985, a robot called PUMA 560 was used to guide a needle for a brain biopsy, one of the earliest recorded uses of robotic assistance in the operating room. By the late 1990s, the development of more sophisticated systems like the da Vinci Surgical System, allowed surgeons to perform complex procedures through small incisions using remotely controlled robotic arms. Since then, robotic systems have expanded into fields ranging from urology to orthopedics. They’ve gradually evolved from experimental tools to mainstream medical technology.
Currently, only one in five minimally invasive operations in the UK involves a robot. That figure is expected to skyrocket over the next decade, with annual procedures climbing from 70,000 today to 500,000 by 2035.
Patients who undergo robotic procedures typically enjoy quicker recoveries, shorter hospital stays, and fewer complications. These outcomes are not just better for individuals — they ripple through the entire system. Fewer nights in hospital free up beds. Faster discharges ease pressure on emergency departments. And more efficient operations allow surgical teams to treat more people each day.
“Expanding the use of new and exciting tech such as robotic surgery will play a huge part in this,” said Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of the National Health Service (NHS) England, for The Guardian.
“Not only does it speed up the number of procedures the NHS can do, but it also means better outcomes, a faster recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients.” The shorter recovery time comes from performing very precise cuts, nothing more than what is needed.
But can this actually happen?
The promise is bold — but it’s not easy to implement.
Even though the robots are individually promising (they offer greater dexterity and range of motion than the average surgeon), implementing them at scale isn’t like installing new printers. Hospitals must be retrofitted with the right infrastructure. Surgical teams need training. And the capital costs of purchasing and maintaining robotic systems are substantial.
Professor Rowan Parks, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, welcomed the move, but stressed that “funding will be required for additional implementation of robotic systems, training of current and future staff and the theater capacity to fully realize the desired impact.” Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, put it more bluntly:
“None of this will be realized without further capital funding in the spending review to help NHS trusts invest in robotics and the infrastructure needed to house these systems. Unless the government provides urgent capital funding, we risk a future where not all patients have access to robotics.”
For now, the country has approved robots for five soft tissue operations, including hernia and gallbladder surgery, and six orthopedic procedures such as partial and full knee replacements. It is also collecting further data to evaluate clinical outcomes and refine how these systems are used.
Surgeons won’t be out of a job
If successful, England’s robotic surgery initiative may set a precedent for health systems worldwide. Plus, it’s not the only country looking at this. The US, for intance, has even more surgical robots in hospitals across the country. Although there’s no nationwide initiative of this scale, robot-assisted surgeries in the US are becoming increasingly common. However, access in the US is tied to insurance coverage. Meanwhile, the UK offers a contrasting model: high-tech tools deployed at national scale to improve equity and access for everyone.
If you’re concerned that this will leave specialists out of a job, don’t worry. For now, the UK has a terrible shortage of doctors and surgeons. Furthermore, robotic surgery isn’t about replacing doctors. Even when partially automated, the machines rely on human oversight. Most often, surgeons sit at a console, guiding robotic arms equipped with high-definition cameras and precision instruments. The robot isn’t making the decisions, the human is. With this system, you can do more surgeries and reduce recovery time for patients.
For Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the initiative is more than policy — it’s personal. Diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2021, Streeting underwent robot-assisted surgery as part of his treatment.
“I know myself how important this is, when the NHS saved my life from kidney cancer with an operation led by a world-class surgeon being helped by a robot.”
Still, experts warn that the journey won’t be smooth. Rolling out robotics across a health service already grappling with funding shortfalls, staff shortages, and aging infrastructure will test the system’s resilience.
But for patients like Kelly Buckle — a 40-year-old bowel cancer patient recently treated in a robot-assisted operation at Solihull Surgical Hub — the change is already real. Her story, like Streeting’s, offers a glimpse of what could become the norm.
