Robotic prostate surgery to start at Redditch hospital

It is hoped the procedure can be offered from August

Prostate cancer patients could receive potentially life-saving robotic surgery in Worcestershire from later this year.

After an eight-year fundraising campaign the procedure is set to launch at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch from August, officials said.

Up to 80 patients a year currently have to travel out of the county for the surgery.

Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust has begun recruiting for the two consultant urologists needed for the treatment.

The state-of-the-art equipment, recruitment and training will cost more than £3.6m, the trust said.

Up to £500,000 was raised by supporters before the plans were paused during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP) can mean less pain, shorter stays in hospital and quicker recovery for patients with prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in men.