Robotic surgery: Cornwall surgeon to raise money towards new technology

A surgeon is leading a campaign to bring cutting-edge assisted robotic surgery to Cornwall.

Nick Battersby, a consultant at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), is helping organise a 5km (3.1-mile) swim across Falmouth Bay on 8 July to raise money for the technology.

Robotically-assisted surgery involves the use of robotic arms to provide additional precision.

Mr Battersby said RCHT's cancer unit needed a surgical robot to modernise.

He said patients "deserved" modern surgical care without the need to travel out of the county.

Across the UK, the technology has been credited with saving lives and helping cut hospital stays.

Mr Battersby told BBC Radio Cornwall: "Cornwall was one of the pioneers for minimally invasive surgery 20 years ago - but obviously technology has moved on.

"Of the top 20 highest-volume cancer units in the country, we're now the only unit that doesn't have this."

After using a simulator, Mr Battersby said small robotic arms were "much more like hands" instead of the fixed instruments he normally uses.

"That's what really gives us the additional precision and the ability to give what's called traction and counter-traction, which is really what we need to operate with minimal tissue trauma," he said.

The robot is expected to cost £2.5m over a five-year budget and Mr Battersby aims to raise £50,000 through community efforts.

Karen Murrish, fundraising manager for Royal Cornwall Hospitals charity, said the initiative was the beginning of the project.

"Obviously to bring a robot of this nature into Cornwall is a huge investment, so there will be lots of other needs in terms of funding," she said.

"At the moment it's exciting - it's a start and something born from a passion from one of our surgeons."

The 5km (3.1m) Swim across the Bay challenge will involve a pod of up to 50 open-water swimmers including Mr Battersby, leaving from Rosemullion Head and finishing at Pendennis Point in Falmouth.

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