Top surgeon: government MUST invest in hospital buildings and technology to cut waiting lists

The President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England will today warn the Government that they will fail to make a sufficient dent in reducing waiting times without investment in crumbling NHS infrastructure and new technology. The warning comes as speculation mounts that the Treasury will change borrowing rules to allow the Government to increase capital investment in the NHS. 
  
Mr Tim Mitchell, when speaking at the Future Surgery conference (1 October) later today, will chart the remarkable innovation and development the field of surgery has witnessed over the last five years, despite the huge challenges facing the NHS.  He will say: “The Prime Minister has warned there can be ‘No extra funding without reform’.  Ahead of the forthcoming Budget, I say: ‘There cannot be meaningful reform without extra funding. Especially in our estates and technology.’” 
 
Mr Mitchell will argue that, without money for investment in technology and surgical capacity in the new government’s first Budget, the NHS will not see a meaningful step change in the numbers of patients on hospital waiting lists. He will add, “If the government is serious about meeting the 18-week target then it’s got to get serious about investment in capital spend – even if that means difficult decisions about where that money is coming from. Ultimately, it’s for the good of patients and the good of the economy. We cannot continue to work in hospitals that are falling down and with IT systems that are falling over.” 
  
An audience of UK healthcare and tech professionals at the two-day Future of Surgery conference in the ExCeL London, will hear Mr Mitchell say that the government needs to invest in NHS buildings and technology. He will say: “In the last decade we’ve seen a growth in surgeons and other NHS staff. But many of our buildings are still deteriorating with little extra capacity. It’s no wonder that the number of operations per surgeon hasn't been going up because we don’t have the extra space and investment in technology that we need to carry out more operations more efficiently.” 
 
Describing the challenges NHS hospitals face due to a lack of capital investment, Mr Mitchell will point to ageing infrastructure at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust in London. He will say: 
 
“St Helier Hospital in London already invests millions each year to maintain its buildings, many of which pre-date the NHS, and this year alone they will spend nearly £2 million to upgrade their theatres. Despite this, broken lifts and flooded corridors caused by its ageing estate mean hundreds of patients have their operations cancelled, increasing short-term costs and frustration for patients because the hospital needs long term investment." 
  
He will also talk about NHS England and NICE proposals for a new model to evaluate medical devices – similar to the way new medicines are reviewed. The plans would help NHS patients in England access the most innovative and cutting-edge medical technologies more quickly. They will also ensure the health service is using the most clinically and cost-effective products. 
  
Calling on the Labour government to ensure the plans progress, Mr Mitchell, will say, “I strongly urge the new Secretary of State to back NICE and NHS England and crack on with setting it up.  What’s clear from our exhibition hall is that as well as helping patients with new treatments, innovations benefit UK PLC. They are helping to grow our economy.” 
  
During his speech, he will celebrate examples of innovations pioneered by surgeons in the NHS including how: 
 
• Robots are getting smaller in size, and more patients are undergoing surgical robotics intervention for a much wider range of ailments with University Hospital Southampton now trialling the use of robots in paediatric kidney surgery. 
• In Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, robots are being used to resect cancers in the pharynx and larynx, and even in thyroid surgery. 
• Genomics is helping to treat the previously untreatable, with baby Opal from Oxfordshire born deaf, but now able to hear thanks to a game-changing gene therapy used by a surgical team at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. 
• Virtual reality is being used to prepare for some major surgeries in advance.  Mixed reality is being used during the operation to access all the information the surgical team needs to complete the procedure to a high standard. A recent UK surgical team used VR & AR to plan and successfully separate conjoined twins in Turkey. 
  
The President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s speech comes almost six years after the Commission on the Future of Surgery.  The Commission’s final report looked five, ten and twenty years into the future to identify advances in medicine and technology that are likely to change surgical care. The speech delivered today will focus on where predictions for the last five years have become reality, and where progress is still happening. 
  
A full copy of the speech is available on request. 
 
ENDS 
  
Notes to editors: 
  
1. Future Surgery’s cutting-edge programme has been meticulously researched and shaped by Future Surgery’s advisory board of experts from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Tailored to explore the ever-evolving world of surgery, the programme will provide attendees with updated skills and knowledge essential for navigating the future of surgery and advancing within the profession. 
2. In collaboration with CloserStill Media, the conference brings together the entire perioperative team to explore practical steps we can take today to build the future of surgery.   Across two informative days, healthcare professionals from across the UK dive into upcoming innovations, disruptive technologies, and the latest techniques.   Exploring how these advances can help redefine excellence in patient care and safety, all while reshaping the surgical workforce and the profession itself. Future Surgery is not about far-off speculation – it is about implementing tangible innovation now. 
3. The Royal College of Surgeons of England provides world-class education, assessment, and development to 30,000 surgeons, dental professionals, and members of the wider surgical and dental care teams, at all stages of their careers. Our vision is to see excellent surgical care for everyone. We do this by setting professional standards, facilitating research and championing the best outcomes for patients. 
4. For more information, please contact the Press Office: Telephone: 020 7869 6054/6061/6047; Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk; Out-of-hours media enquiries: 0207 869 6056.