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Greenham Common Trust gives Royal Berkshire Hospital £50,000 to help robotic surgical equipment save lives 

Greenham Common Trust has given Royal Berkshire Hospital £50,000 to help keep life saving robotic assisted surgical equipment available for local residents.

The new state of the art da Vinci robot, dubbed ‘Robbie the Robot’, is currently being used for prostate cancer operations and its use is planned to extend into surgery for gynaecology and bowel cancer. The benefits of this new surgery are many, including reduced trauma to the body, reduced blood loss and wound infection, shorter recovery times and reduced incidents of incontinence and impotence. The total cost is £1.2m and £590,000 has already been raised.

Fundraiser for Newbury hospital, The West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends, has actively campaigned for funding to keep Robbie at the Royal Berkshire Hospital because of the number of local people who will benefit.

Chairman of the WBCH League of Friends Gerald Picton said: “The League has experienced first hand the consequences of funding shortages within the NHS, a situation which is not going to improve; in fact the shortages are going to get considerably worse. Because of generous support from the public and organisations like Greenham Common Trust, the League has been able to maintain a first class medical service in West Berkshire. The presence of Robbie the Robot at the RBH will maintain the standard of healthcare in West Berkshire as amongst the best in the country.”

Consultant Urologist at the RBH Adam Jones, who is one of the surgeons using Robbie, said: "This is fantastic news. We are immensely grateful to Greenham Common Trust for their very generous donation. Robbie the robot has allowed us to offer radical prostate and bladder surgery for cancer and complex kidney cancer removals by the very latest keyhole technology. This avoids large painful open incisions and so patient recovery is much quicker, not to mention the significantly reduced pain, blood loss and transfusion requirements. We still have quite a way to go with our fundraising, but this is a fantastic boost."

Business Development Manager at the hospital’s charitable arm Royal Berks Charity Ian Thomson added: “Your grant will make a significant dent in our efforts to raise the final £610,000 to keep ‘Robbie’ at Reading and the ensuing publicity will hopefully stimulate further response from the community.”  

To see Robbie in action please visit www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/robotappeal

You can find details of how to make a donation through the website or alternatively call 0118 3226969 or email charity@royalberkshire.nhs.uk