The NHS in England plans to significantly expand robotic surgery. The UK Government’s recently published 10 Year Health Plan for England states that the NHS will roll out the use of robot-assisted surgery (RAS) as a standard for a wider range of procedures, in line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence from 2026.
To support this ambition, the Shelford Group has partnered with the Newcastle Surgical Training Centre to develop the Shelford START program. The START program provides the opportunity for surgical trainees to develop their skills, knowledge and expertise in RAS, at an earlier stage in their career across Intuitive’s da Vinci, CMR Surgical’s Versius and Medtronic’s Hugo™ RAS surgical systems.
The training, based on the highly successful Northern Robotics Training Programme, has over 50 surgical trainees registered for the pilot year and will involve a range of simulation tasks and hands on wet lab training. Trainees will also be provided access to a bespoke skills tracker which outlines predefined surgical skills and competencies required for each phase of their training, allowing them to track and evaluate their progress throughout the course.
The program meets the recommendations of the national guidance on implementation of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in England and has support from the Royal College of Surgeons of England who are collaborating with the Shelford Group by using their quality assurance and accreditation processes to ensure that the program provides trainees with the highest standards of surgical training and education in this dynamic and fast developing area of healthcare.
The START program is being formally launched at the Cambridge Surgical Training Centre on 10 and 11 December 2025. During the launch, National Medical Director Professor Meghana Pandit and President of Royal College of Surgeons England Mr Tim Mitchell will be given the opportunity to meet with trainees from the East of England and to see them undertake a series of simulation tasks across the different robotics platforms.
Professor Alan Horgan, Director, Newcastle Surgical Robotic Training Centre, said: “The START program is a multi-phased, long-term training course that reflects the complex and evolving skill set required for performance of safe and effective robotic surgery. As it continues to roll out nationally, this program will be a key step in supporting the NHS to build a sustainable pipeline of surgeons equipped with the necessary skills for robotics surgery in the future.”
Mr Tim Mitchell, President, Royal College of Surgeons for England, said: "Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to transform patient care by enhancing surgical precision, improving visualization, and supporting better operative outcomes, as well as enabling faster recovery and fewer complications. It is a rapidly developing area of surgical expertise, and the College welcomes initiatives such as the START program that aim to advance training and education in this field."
Professor Clive Kay, Chair of the Shelford Group and CEO of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted that the Shelford Group has been able to support Newcastle to share its expertise in surgical robotics training across the country. Building on this pilot, we hope to roll out the program more widely to broaden access and help build a workforce with the surgery skills they will need for the future.”
Surgical trainee Mohammed El Bahnasawi, Urology ST5 Registrar at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, said: “It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to learn across different robotic surgery platforms for the first time. It’s given me more confidence using the equipment in my surgical practice, and I’m looking forward to developing my skills further as the program progresses.”