Opposition commits to new investment in robotic surgery technology

MedTech News: More patients could soon access robotic surgery under an ambitious plan.

A $66M package to increase the use of robotic surgery in eight public hospitals has been announced by Liberal leader, Matthew Guy, if he becomes the Victorian Premier.

Robotic-assisted surgery is aimed at reducing the pressure on the hospital system through shorter hospital stays, which would free up capacity for more surgeries to be performed. The technology is currently used at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and University Hospital Geelong as well as by 16 private hospitals across the state.

Under the Liberals’ plan, robot-assisted surgery would be performed at major new sites including The Alfred, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer centre and Austin Health.

Mr Guy said the announcement was part of a larger plan to “fix the health crisis”. Almost 85,000 Victorians are on the state’s elective surgery waiting list, according to the latest data, nearly double the number before the pandemic.

“This technology will help us halve the elective surgery waitlist and give tens of thousands of Victorians their lives back,” he said.

Advances in robotics surgery to pave the way for wider access, says Professor Tony Costello

The International Medical Robotics Academy welcomed the call for investment in robotic surgery technology by the Victorian opposition saying that robotic surgery reduces blood loss and complications by up to 50% compared to open surgery.

Professor Tony Costello, a pioneer robotic surgery, said “This policy will reduce the inequity between public and private patients and improve patient outcomes with the right training and rollout. We are keen to see how the Andrew’s Labor government will continue the work they have done with Grampians Health and deliver better outcomes to regional communities and public patients.”

However, Health Minister Mary Anne Thomas argued that the opposition wasn’t in line with the sector’s needs.

“Now it’s robots over ratios as they try desperately to find a workforce they don’t have to consult,” Ms Thomas said.

But Opposition spokeswoman for health, Georgie Crozier, said the technology has a place to improve Victoria’s embattled healthcare system.

“The Andrews Labor Government mocking technology that is already widely in use in the private sector shows how out of touch, out of ideas and out of time they are. We have announced a Real Solutions Plan to train an additional 40,000 nurses and midwives, and we will not be changing the legislated ratios, full stop,” she said.

It comes after the current Government revealed a plan to give graduate nurses and midwives a $5,000 bonus. That announcement was made by Premier Daniel Andrews under a $150M plan which also aims to enhance nurse-to-patient ratios.

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