The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has taken a step forward in its bid to establish an institution of robotics at the Colney site.
Its board of directors agreed to progress the plan to a full business case, a key step towards the ambitious vision becoming a reality.
The initial phase of the plan has seen the N&N Hospitals Charity – the organisation’s charitable arm – launch a fundraising drive to purchase two brand new surgery robots.
However, as the board discussed the early phases of plan, there were warnings that once the new robots are purchased, the hospital would be unable to rely on charity to upkeep and maintain them,
Julian Foster, one of the directors, said: “In terms of making this sustainable, the finances will need to move quite a bit to ensure we are able to replace and maintain the robots at the end of their useful lives.
“If we were to expect the charity to continue to replace them, I think demand will outstrip what it is able to do.”
Should the plan go ahead, it will see an expansion to the number of robotics-assisted surgeries carried out at the site – as well as helping to train new robotic surgeons.
The surgery method has been lauded as it allows for less invasive operations, as smaller, more accurate incisions are made, resulting in shorter recovery times.
Mark Friend, chairman of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, said he had recently visited the James Paget in Gorleston, where he spoke to a patient who underwent robotic surgery at the N&N to remove a quarter of his lungs, and was able to be discharged two days later.
Bernard Brett, the hospital’s medical director, added: “This is the future of surgery. It is transformative, it is not just something that would provide a trivial benefit.”