CMR Surgical has announced that West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (WHTH) will install two Versius surgical robotic systems at Watford General Hospital.
The move aligns with WHTH’s commitment to expand its robotic-assisted surgery programme and become a centre of excellence in the minimally invasive robotic surgery sector.
Once installed, WHTH is planning to use the surgical robotic system in multiple specialties, including colorectal, gynaecology, urology, and upper gastrointestinal surgery.
WHTH NHS Trust chief medical officer Mike van der Watt said: “We have seen from other trusts that investment in next generation surgical technology has helped attract and retain talent, whilst helping to alleviate the physical toll experienced by surgeons during surgery.
“With two Versius Surgical Robotic Systems, we will attract top talent as well as provide training and development opportunities for existing staff.”
Versius features a small, modular design to facilitate easy shifting of the system between departments and hospitals and its integration into existing workflows to maximise the usage.
The system also incorporates an open console, which allows for easy verbal and nonverbal communication between the surgeon and the surgical team.
Versius also offers insights through the Versius Connect app, Versius Trainer and CMR clinical registry, to improve surgical care.
CMR Surgical chief medical officer Dr Mark Slack commented: “We’re hugely proud to partner with WHTH on an NHS-first implementation of two Versius systems.
“We know from previous partnerships that as well as providing improved patient outcomes through access to minimal access surgery, and a more comfortable quality of working life for surgical teams, an investment in surgical robotics like this will truly put WHTH on the map as a centre for excellence in health technology.”
In October 2021, CMR Surgical unveiled its plans to build a new large-scale global manufacturing facility in Cambridgeshire, UK.
