Marking 30 years of day surgery at Torbay Hospital with significant investment in robotic technology

Published: 25 June 2026

We are proud to announce a major new investment in robotic surgery at Torbay Hospital, made possible through a partnership with Torbay Hospital League of Friends, who are contributing 40% of the £1.3 million cost of a new surgical robot.

This year marks 30 years of day surgery at Torbay Hospital – three decades of developing safe, effective care that allows patients to return home sooner. This latest investment in robotic surgery builds on that experience, continuing a long-standing focus on improving how surgical care is delivered.

The investment follows a six month pilot of the Versius robotic surgery system, which was provided to us under a no cost loan agreement. This allowed surgical teams to safely evaluate the technology in clinical use before any decision to invest was taken.

Versius is a versatile, adaptable and modular robotic platform designed to support both inpatient and day case surgery across a range of specialties, including upper gastrointestinal, colorectal and general surgery. Its modular design means it can be used across different theatre settings, supporting a range of procedures using minimally invasive techniques.

During the pilot phase, our surgical team carried out what is believed to be the world’s first robotic day case colectomy (bowel cancer removal), with the patient able to return home on the same day. The team has since delivered further milestones, including what is understood to be the UK’s first day case high anterior resection, as well as the first day case intra-thoracic stomach repair in the South West.

Together, these developments show how advances in surgical technology are supporting the expansion of day surgery at Torbay, enabling increasingly complex procedures to be delivered safely without an overnight stay.

Robotic assisted surgery allows surgeons to operate with better vision and greater precision than standard “key-hole” surgery, using small incisions which result in less post-operative pain, smaller scars and a quicker recovery, where clinically appropriate. For patients, this can mean spending less time in hospital and returning to normal activities sooner, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and care.

Mr Adam Kimble, Clinical Service Lead General Surgery and Urology and Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon, said: “The pilot period gave us the opportunity to assess robotic surgery properly in our own theatres, with our own teams and patients. Being able to take that step before investing was hugely important. The early experience has shown how this technology can support high quality, minimally invasive surgery and help us continue to develop our surgical services here in Torbay.

“For patients, one of the most important things is how they feel after surgery. What we’ve seen during the pilot is that robotic assisted surgery can support a faster recovery, with less pain which enables a quicker return home for people undergoing procedures like gallbladder removal, hernia repair, hiatus hernia repairs and bowel cancer surgery.”

The investment supports our wider ambitions to modernise surgical services, expand day case surgery where appropriate, and create an environment that enables clinical teams to work as effectively and safely as possible. It also places a strong emphasis on workforce development, with comprehensive training built into the robotic programme.

Dr Kate Lissett, Chief Medical Officer, said: “This year marks 30 years of day surgery at Torbay Hospital and this investment is a natural next step.

“Robotic assisted surgery has the potential to improve patient experience and recovery, while allowing our teams to safely carry out more complex procedures as day cases where appropriate.

“The support from Torbay Hospital League of Friends has been instrumental, allowing us to move forward following a thorough evaluation. This investment reflects our commitment to improving patient care, supporting our staff, and ensuring that services at Torbay Hospital continue to develop in line with modern clinical practice.”

We have worked closely with Torbay Hospital League of Friends, whose contribution reflects their long standing commitment to supporting improvements in care for local patients and staff. Martin Tucker, Chair of Torbay Hospital League of Friends, said: “We are proud to support this investment in robotic surgery for Torbay Hospital. Our role is to help fund projects that will make a meaningful difference for patients and staff, now and into the future. This felt like a carefully thought through proposal, grounded in real clinical experience, and we’re delighted to be able to contribute.”

Following the investment, we will continue to develop our robotic surgery programme in a phased and clinically led way, with ongoing focus on patient safety, outcomes and experience. As we look ahead, we will continue to build on 30 years of day surgery development, supported by new approaches that improve care and recovery for patients.

Peter Gorham, Commercial Vice President, General Manager, UK and Ireland at CMR Surgical, said, “This investment demonstrates the growing clinical and operational value of robotic-assisted surgery within the NHS, particularly in expanding high-quality day case pathways.

“Following a robust in-theatre evaluation, it’s clear that Versius® – with its modular, versatile design and digitally enabled capabilities – can support wider accessibility to robotic surgery, helping teams increase efficiency, optimise theatre utilisation and safely deliver more complex minimally invasive procedures with improved patient flow and recovery.

We are proud to partner with forward-thinking teams like Torbay, who are embracing innovation to enhance outcomes, maximise capacity and future-proof their surgical services.”

John McGrath, Co-Chair of the NHS England Robotic Surgery Steering Committee, said, “We are really delighted to see the exciting plans that Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust have for their expansion of robotic surgery.

“In the 10 Year Health Plan for England, robotic surgery has been highlighted as one of the five ‘Big Bet’ technologies, with a commitment to expand the number of robotic procedures to half a million operations a year by 2035. To do this, we need to see well-designed robotic programmes that maximise the benefits for patients and for the NHS.

“By combining their long-standing expertise in day case surgery with the latest robotic technology, the Torbay and South Devon robotic service can be an exemplar programme that furthers our understanding of how we optime the use of robotic surgery across the NHS. This will be achieved by broadening access to different types of surgical procedures, adopting a diverse range of robotic platform types and continuously evaluating the clinical outcomes for patients to drive further improvements in care.”