# Public health robotic surgery rollout

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/public-health-robotic-surgery-rollout
> Updated: 2026-08-12T13:23:35.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 3.

In early August 2026, the UK National Health Service began scaling up its use of Intuitive Surgical’s Da Vinci 5 system. At St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, a surgeon performed a robot-assisted lung-tumour removal and then trained colleagues, reflecting a national strategy to have robotic assistance in nine-tenths of minimally invasive procedures by 2035.

The following day, the rollout extended to Scotland, where NHS Forth Valley installed a Da Vinci XI dual-console system and completed 19 robotic procedures across several specialties within six weeks. Simultaneously, India’s public sector marked a milestone as the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences celebrated its 1,000th robotic-assisted surgery in under three years, most performed free under government schemes. Together, these developments illustrate a rapid expansion of advanced robotic surgery within public healthcare systems in the UK and India.

By mid-August, further integration of automation and robotics was reported across other UK NHS trusts. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust expanded its robotic-assisted surgery use at Princess Royal Hospital, noting that the technology has helped reduce patient hospital stays; the trust has operated on nearly 1,000 patients since 2023. Additionally, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust began implementing an intelligent automation programme, utilizing robotic process automation in maternity and outpatient services to improve clinical efficiency.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-12: NHS trusts implement robotic surgery and automation technologies

UK NHS trusts are adopting advanced medical technologies, including robotic-assisted surgery and intelligent automation, to streamline administrative tasks and improve surgical precision and recovery.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nhs-trusts-implement-robotic-surgery-and-automation-technologies

### 2026-08-03: Robotic Surgery Milestones Reach Scotland and India

Scotland’s NHS Forth Valley completed 19 robotic surgeries after a £2.5 m Da Vinci XI rollout, while India’s NIMS reached 1,000 robotic procedures in three years, most free under government schemes.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/robotic-surgery-milestones-reach-scotland-and-india

### 2026-08-02: UK NHS trains surgeons on Intuitive's Da Vinci 5 robot system

Dr. Sasha Stamenkovic used Intuitive's Da Vinci 5 robot to remove a lung tumour and trained three surgeons at St Bartholomew's Hospital, part of the NHS plan to boost robotic surgery to 90% of procedures by 203

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-nhs-trains-surgeons-on-intuitives-da-vinci-5-robot-system

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Cite as: Public health robotic surgery rollout. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/public-health-robotic-surgery-rollout