Democratising surgical robotics in the EU for Better Health Outcomes

In November, we held ‘Democratising surgical robotics in the EU for Better Health Outcomes’? –? a first-of-its-kind panel discussion at the European Parliament. The event was organised with the scientific coordination of EUREGHA - European Regional and Local Health Authorities (the reference network for European Regional and Local Health Authorities) and in collaboration with? COCIR (European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT industry).?Hosted by MEP Tomislav Sokol , the forum showcased regional practices shared by?Cari-Anne Quinn,?Chief Executive Officer of Life Sciences Hub Wales , who provided an overview of the impact the All-Wales National Robotics Programme has had in Wales one year on, and?Prof. Maurizio De Maria, a Urologist, shared a case study from the Tuscany region, highlighting how it undertook a comprehensive assessment to determine the feasibility of an innovation-driven change in policy, which led to the region deciding to expand the adoption of robotics and welcome new technologies to address diverse organisational needs; including improving access, equality, organisation, and cost reduction.?The event was concluded with a multi-stakeholder debate featuring Incisive Health Senior Counsel, Hans Martens , Chair of the European Regional and local health authorities (EUREGHA) - Giovanni Gorgoni, and Philipp Goedecker , Digital Health Senior Manager at COCIR, which addressed the need for long-term healthcare outcome-based assessments, procurement pathways, transforming care delivery, equitable access to new technologies and clear regulatory frameworks.?

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the event a success. It was great to be able to bring meaningful discussion on robotic surgery to the European Parliament and hear about the positive impact democratising access to robotic surgery through regional and national programmes is having for patients across Europe. ?

RCS England President visits CMR

This month, we were thrilled to invite President of The Royal College of Surgeons of England ?(RSC England), Tim Mitchell , to our?headquarters in Cambridge.

During the visit, we had the opportunity to showcase Versius, give the President a tour of our HQ and provide an overview of our recently RCS England accredited professional education portfolio. The RCS England is a world leader of surgical education and provides quality assurance for any surgical training run both in the UK and globally. RCS England accreditation is considered an internationally recognised hallmark of quality. The accreditation is only awarded where there is a clear demonstration of excellence review of the entire surgical education provider, its facilities, resources, and educational portfolio.

Thank you, Tim, for joining us in Cambridge. We hope you enjoyed your visit and look forward to continued collaboration with the RCS!

CMR celebrates Diwali!

On Sunday 12 November millions of people globally celebrated Diwali. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and its origin has lots of different stories depending on where you are from. Universally it symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, and good over evil!

Earlier this month our colleagues in India celebrated Diwali in style. Everyone was dressed up, embracing the vibrant colours and traditional attire, and played lots of games. Colleagues enjoyed designing beautiful diyas (clay lamps), solved puzzles and played charades.

Although belated, we would like to wish all our colleagues celebrating a Happy Diwali and a very Happy New Year.?

SIUT share their story

This month the CMR team had the pleasure of having doctors from The?Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation ( SIUT ) in?Karachi, Pakistan, present to the company.?

SIUT is a renowned charitable institute, providing free state of the art medical treatment to all patients, regardless of background or wealth, facilitating the treatment of renal ailments, urological and nephrological conditions, oncological treatments, treatments of hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases, and organ transplantation.?

SIUT’s mission is to provide the best healthcare without discrimination – whether a farmer, politician, or seamstress, regardless of religion or status, SIUT aims to treat anyone who walks through its door. It was inspiring to hear the panel of doctors speak and share why they chose Versius, the different procedures they use the system for, and the benefits Versius is adding to their institution.?

Read more about SIUT's incredible work here: https://siut.org/

Celebrating milestones

Throughout the month, surgeons and surgical teams around the world have celebrated a variety of milestones with Versius – representing more patients around the world getting access to the benefits of robotic-assisted minimal access surgery. ??

In IMEA, a number of hospitals have celebrated milestones across the region.?Cleopatra Al Shorouk Hospital?has surpassed 100 robotic cases with Versius.?Al Zahra Hospital?in Dubai has successfully completed more than 150 robotic procedures.?National Hospital and Medical Centre in Lahore?have now completed 250 successful procedures with Versius, with?Professor Mehmood Ayaz?having completed more than 100 robotic cholecystectomies using Versius within just 18 months. The?International Hospital of Urology & Nephrology?in Egypt has successfully completed a staggering 300 procedures using Versius. It is wonderful to see the high-utilisation of the system across the region to bring more patients the benefits of minimal access surgery.

Across the UK, there have been a range of milestones in gynaecological surgery. At Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 's, Mr Ashish Pradhan?completed the first sacrocolpopexy using Versius in the UK. At?Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Gynaecology team have now surpassed 150 cases performed using Versius. Consultant Gynaecologist’s?Ms Nidhi Singh ( Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ),?Aarti Sharma?( Cardiff and Vale University Health Board ) and?Ms Helen Nicks ( Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust ) spoke about their experiences using Versius at the annual?British & Irish Association of Robotic Gynaecological Surgeons (BIARGS)?conference.