SOUTHMEAD Hospital has been announced as one of five training centres that could save thousands of lives of men suffering with prostate cancer each year.

The number of NHS urologists training in cutting-edge robotic technology at the hospital is set to increase, thanks to funding from medical charity The Urology Foundation.

The charity will be funding five high volume robotic training centres, one of which will be in Bristol, which will enable surgeons to share expertise, with the number of urologists training each year more than trebling from six to 20.

The project – to establish centres of expertise in robotic urological surgery training in the UK – is thought to be the first of its kind.

It is expected that this increase will mean an additional 2,000 men with prostate cancer will benefit each year from robotic technology.

Professor Anthony Koupparis, from Southmead Hospital, said: “The robotics training centre is a great idea – standards of surgery will only go up and up along with the number of young surgeons who are trained to perform it.

“Robotics have revolutionised surgery with patients benefitting from more precision and in turn faster recovery, shorter hospital stays and less blood loss.

“In the past bladder cancer patients would have a massive operation and be in hospital for 14 days but with robotic surgery this has been reduced to a five days. This surgery is having a hugely positive impact - patients are doing really well, suffering from less side effects and getting home very quickly.”

Professor Prokar Dasgupta, professor of robotic surgery and urological innovation at King’s College London said: “This project is incredibly exciting. Itis the first time that the combined knowledge and expertise of robotic surgeons across the UK has been shared in this way.

“Robotic training centres often train and develop surgeons within their own establishment, whereas this is a collaborative effort. I’ve never heard of anything like this anywhere in the world and it has certainly not been done before within the UK or European surgery.

“Previously, surgeons wishing to be trained in robot assisted surgery have had to travel abroad which needed effort and investment but now we will have surgeons who are home-grown that can come together to share skills and experience.

“Through the training centres, the number of surgeons that can operate using the robots will increase, so more people will have access to the best quality care."