Patient Michael Benjamin, 79, from Bushey, Hertfordshire had an operation, assisted by the robot, to remove a potentially cancerous tumour on his bowel.
He was treated at Watford General Hospital, which is one of three hospitals run by the trust.
Colorectal surgeon Dr James Hollingshead performed the operation using a console to control the robot’s movements with his hands and looking through a headset.
Dr Patel joined in from a second console to offer his thoughts.
The medical team expected Michael to be in hospital for two days to recover as opposed to spending five or six nights there.
Once he is released, he will be monitored at home by their virtual hospital, a team of doctors and nurses taking measurements of patients using wearable technology.