Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends (BHC&F) has brought cutting-edge tech to Bedford Hospital, thanks to support from the local community, with the arrival of a new da Vinci Xi surgery robot.
While this robot will bring considerable benefits for both patients and staff across a wide range of conditions, Gastroenterologist Dr Rory Harvey has been helping highlight developments in robotic surgery.
Discussions between BHC&F and Dr Harvey set a goal to then bring the da Vinci Xi to Bedford Hospital, which will help provide less invasive surgery, a quicker recovery, and a better outcome in terms of a patient’s quality of life.
Chairman of Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends, Deborah Inskip, said: “Due to the extreme generosity of the local community the charity was delighted to be in a strong position to support the purchase of this robot.
“The charity added £900,000 to the £1.1M of the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to facilitate the purchase of this top-of-the-range da Vinci Xi robot.
“It will be used across a range of different specialities, treating patients with conditions ranging from bowel and renal cancer to endometriosis, euro-gynaecology, bariatric and biliary surgery, and complex head and neck conditions.”
Meanwhile, surgeons who have carried out robotic-assisted procedures at Bedford Hospital have called the arrival of the robot the “beginning of a new era of surgery” for local people using the hospital.
Katharine Bevan, Colorectal Consultant Surgeon and Clinical Lead for Bedfordshire Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust was the first surgeon to carry out a robotic-assisted procedure at Bedford Hospital. She said “…we are tremendously excited to have introduced this new technology and improve the care of our patients.
“The significant benefits for patients include reduced post-operative pain, a faster recovery leading to a shorter stay in hospital, and improved quality of life after surgery.”
David Carter, Chief Executive of Bedfordshire Hospitals, gave his thanks to BHC&F for their “energy, enthusiasm and support” in spearheading the project and contributing the “phenomenal” £900,000 to the cost of the robot.
“Clearly, robotic surgery is the way forward and is rapidly becoming the new norm,” he added. “This is yet another example of the Bedford community supporting their local hospital to deliver the best for the community.
“We never know when we might be needing surgery and it is comforting to know that we now have the best equipment possible at our local hospital.
“This is fantastic news for our patients, and will future-proof our surgical services – the commitment to innovation, and the training, education and research it brings, will help us retain and attract high calibre staff.”
