Landmark donation puts Glasgow at forefront of children’s robotic surgery
The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow has become the first children’s hospital in the world to own a Versius Plus surgical robot dedicated exclusively to the care of children, thanks to the largest single donation ever received by Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
The pledge of more than £1.5 million from the Coldstones Charitable Trust to Hi Scotland, the charity’s innovation arm, will establish a programme of paediatric robotic surgery at the children’s hospital.
The small, modular and versatile design of the Versius system supports its use in robotic-assisted paediatric surgery. This helps to bring greater access to minimally invasive keyhole surgery, including for complex cancer, urology, abdominal, thoracic and gastrointestinal surgery.
For some patients, robotic-assisted surgery can offer surgeons enhanced precision while helping reduce pain, minimise scarring, shorten hospital stays and support a faster return to everyday life. Existing open and laparoscopic surgical techniques will continue to be used whenever they remain the most appropriate option for a child.
Mr Michael Jacovides, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon and Clinical Lead for the robotic surgery programme, said: “Robotic assisted surgery will increasingly be part of caring for children in the future, and I am excited it is already here for the children of Glasgow. We are developing our service to cover more conditions, and to offer it to more children and babies across Scotland.
“We owe the presence of the robot to our charity and our sponsor. We are proud to have established Glasgow as a leader in this field, and we are working with partners nationally and internationally so these technologies become more widely used.”
The purchase positions Glasgow at the forefront of paediatric robotic surgery and follows a successful evaluation phase, during which surgeons performed more than 30 procedures with the robot. While the system is available to some paediatric patients elsewhere through shared systems or facilities within larger adult hospitals, Glasgow is the first dedicated children’s hospital in the world to purchase and own a Versius Plus system solely for paediatric patients.
The investment will also help more children access highly specialised treatment closer to home, reducing the need for some families to travel elsewhere in the UK for procedures.
Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and its innovation arm Hi Scotland, said: “This extraordinary donation from the Coldstones Charitable Trust is enabling something genuinely pioneering for children’s healthcare. By funding the purchase of the Versius Plus system, they are helping establish a world-first dedicated paediatric programme based around this technology. Innovation is ultimately about improving outcomes and experiences for children and families, and this investment has the potential to influence the future development of paediatric surgery far beyond Glasgow and Scotland. We are incredibly grateful to the Coldstones Charitable Trust for their exceptional gift.”
The West of Scotland Innovation Hub, hosted by NHSGGC, has played a key role in supporting the programme through governance, evaluation and partnership working, helping to create the conditions for the safe introduction of the Versius Plus system in paediatric surgery and strengthening collaboration with CMR Surgical, the developers of the technology.
Dr Katriona Brooksbank, Regional Head of Innovation at NHSGGC and head of the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, said: “This is an outstanding example of how innovation, philanthropy, clinical leadership and industry collaboration can come together to deliver real benefits for patients and families.
“Through the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, we have worked closely with clinical teams, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and CMR Surgical to support the governance, evaluation and adoption of this pioneering technology. Our role is to ensure innovative solutions can be introduced safely, responsibly and with a strong evidence base, while keeping patient benefit at the centre.
“The establishment of the world’s first dedicated paediatric Versius Plus robotic surgery programme is a significant achievement for Glasgow.
“It creates opportunities not only to improve outcomes for young patients, but also to support research, training and future innovation that could influence paediatric surgical care internationally.”
As the first dedicated children’s hospital in the world to own a Versius Plus robotic surgical system, the programme is expected to support research, training and clinical collaboration with healthcare organisations across the UK and internationally, helping shape the future development of robotic surgery for children from Glasgow.
A trustee of the Coldstones Charitable Trust added: “We are delighted to once again be able to support the excellent work of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. The opportunity to support the purchase of the robot, a first for solely paediatric surgery, was a very easy decision. This will truly turn the dial on surgery for children and reinforce Scotland’s reputation for paediatric surgery.”