Whitehaven Hospital employs robot to help free up staff

The robot is operating alongside staff at West Cumberland Hospital

A hospital is hoping a "state-of-the-art" robot will help free up its staff to spend time with patients.

West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven, Cumbria, has invested £350,000 in a robot to help pharmacy staff.

It can distribute and manage large amounts of medicine and has robotically-controlled arms, hospital bosses said.

Paul Fieldhouse, clinical director of pharmacy, said it was an "example of advancing technology".

The site's pharmacy team helps other hospitals and clinics

It distributed its first medicine this week after being delivered to the hospital in February.

Named the "dispensing robot", it is capable of picking individual items for prescriptions as they are required.

The pharmacy service at the hospital provides medication to other hospitals and community clinics.

The North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) NHS Foundation Trust said it would eventually allow staff to spend more time on the wards.

Clinical Director of Pharmacy Paul Fieldhouse hopes it will free up staff

"It is good to see this innovation and most up-to-date technology being introduced at West Cumberland hospital", Mr Fieldhouse said.

"The robot will speed up the process of issuing stock medicines to patients, wards and our community hospitals".

Robotics used elsewhere

This hospital is not the first to adopt robotic technology to help its patients.

In January, last year, a hospital in Bristol drafted in robots to help improve efficiency in some behind-the-scenes roles.

It came as the NHS faced pressures for long waiting lists for treatment.

Meanwhile, a robotic surgery system is being used at a hospital in Lincoln to help with some cancer treatments.

A system mimics the hand movements of a surgeon as they operate a console that is linked to the robot.

It means medics can perform delicate procedures through the smallest of incisions.

Consultant Urologist Aris Alevizopoulos, at the hospital, said the system provided "equal if not better outcomes" to traditional surgical techniques.