RIGHT now, Cornwall is the only place in England and Wales without access to robotic surgery. Devon, by comparison, has seven places where a robot could do your operation.

That means patients here are forced to travel over 100 miles to receive life-changing treatment that could be available on their doorstep. It means surgeries that could be performed locally, more precisely and with better outcomes, are simply not an option at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

That is why I have called for investment in a robotic surgical system for Cornwall.

Medical technology is coming on in leaps and bounds, and robotic surgery is no longer a novelty; it is becoming the standard of care in procedures like prostate cancer surgery, where precision is critical. Yet Cornish patients must cross the Tamar to access it. The reality is that without this technology, our local services are limited, outcomes suffer, and Cornwall falls behind.

Recently, I brought together all the Cornish MPs in a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging support for a bid to fund a state-of-the-art soft tissue robotic surgical system in Treliske Hospital in Cornwall. It would be transformative for Cornwall.

This isn’t just about equipment. It's about infrastructure, training, research, and establishing a South West centre for robotic surgery here in Cornwall. It's about attracting and retaining top clinical talent. And it’s about giving patients the care they deserve, without forcing them to leave Cornwall to get it.

At the start of this year, I hosted an NHS roundtable to ensure that the voices of Truro, Falmouth, and our surrounding villages helped shape the government's 10-year plan for the NHS. One takeaway from this session was the strong local support for embracing technological innovation— particularly the use of robotic systems to enhance patient care. That message has been heard, and it has stayed with me.

This investment would help address health inequity and ensure Cornwall is not left behind in this next phase of surgical advancement—with robotic and digital surgery highlighted across key national reports (the NHS 10-Year Plan, Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, The King’s Fund plans for the future of our Health Service, and the Royal College of Surgeons’ Future of Surgery report) as transformative technologies for the next generation of care.

The robotic surgical arm is a wondrous instrument. But it is more than that, it is a symbol of ambition and progress. It would future-proof the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, expand capacity, improve outcomes, and help build a stronger, more advanced NHS in Cornwall. Let's have one in Cornwall please.