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Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Theme leads
Theme Lead and Professor of Colorectal Surgery Director (Royal College Surgeons (Eng) Robotic and Digital Surgery initiative)
Co-Theme Lead Director of the Birmingham Robotics Institute (University of Birmingham)
Robotics and autonomous systems can play a key role in safely and efficiently delivering aspects of health and social care. Waiting times for residential care and delays in hospital discharge have increased by 40% and 180% respectively since 2010, and NHS staff shortages in England could exceed 570,000 by 2036.
Long-term sustainability will be delivered through reduced healthcare costs and increased quality; this value-based ‘smart healthcare’ combines standardisation of care with the use of technology to deliver the best possible outcome at lowest cost.
Pharmacy and surgical robots are already used in the NHS, but there are many areas where robots, including autonomous robots, could play a much larger role. Their successful deployment in the real world, including operational safety, low-cost and efficacy, needs to be carefully considered. Robotic interfaces also enable digitalisation of physical tasks to yield data which may be collected and evaluated to specify improvements in pathways and care.
