Hundreds of patients are set to benefit from a new robotic surgery programme at St Albans City Hospital.

The initiative is expected to speed up recovery times and facilitate quicker discharges after joint operations.

West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for St Albans City Hospital and serving a population of more than 600,000, is the first trust to offer robotic-assisted joint replacement in Hertfordshire and West Essex.

Patients previously required to travel to London can now access the same treatment closer to home.

Ravi Popat and Ben Spiegelberg (Image: West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust) The Smith & Nephew Cori robot aids surgeons in positioning knee or hip implants with greater precision by building a 3D model of the patient's anatomy in real time.

The orthopaedic surgical team anticipates that the robot will be used for approximately 200 joint replacements annually at St Albans, a third of the total.

Ravi Popat, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, leading the robotics programme at St Albans, said: "Operating with robots can provide a much better outcome for patients including a speedier recovery and ultimately a shorter hospital stay.

"This is much better for the patient and helps to free up beds.

“We’re proud to be providing top tier care for patients who would normally need to travel to a London hospital to benefit from this kind of specialist technology.”

In some cases, the patient's recovery can be monitored via the Trust’s award-winning 'virtual hospital', which allows for home care using specialist technology and expert support.

The Trust is widely recognised as one of the UK's most advanced in terms of technological adoption, particularly robotic surgery.

Earlier this year, West Herts invested in two additional state-of-the-art robots, bringing the total to five, including the latest at St Albans.

Ben Spiegelberg, hip and knee lead consultant in the orthopaedic team at St Albans, said: "It’s very exciting for our theatre and surgical teams who have the chance to develop cutting-edge theatre skills and widen their career opportunities."

Eighty-one-year-old Yvonne Rowson, who had the Trust’s first fully robotically assisted hip replacement at St Albans City Hospital on September 2, said: "I’m thrilled to bits.

"Robotic surgery is the way to go. My recovery has been phenomenal.

"My only regret is I would have liked to see the robot."