Press releases

27 Jan 2026 Responding to the new ‘trailblazing’ NHS AI and robot pilot to ‘spot lung cancer sooner’, Miss Nuha Yassin, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and RCS England Council Lead for the Future of Surgery, Robotics and Digital Surgery, said: “This innovative NHS pilot demonstrates the remarkable potential of advanced technology in the form of robotic assisted diagnostic tools and AI."

23 Jan 2026 Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery is a timely new exhibition opening at the Hunterian Museum, housed inside the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) in London. The exhibition shines a spotlight on women in surgery working across the UK today, offering an intimate and contemporary look at surgical life.

22 Jan 2026 New data, released by NHS Wales for November 2025, shows some progress in cutting the waiting list, but surgeons warn that ambitions to clear the longest waits remain at risk due to staff burnout and theatre access.

16 Jan 2026 Responding to the National Audit Office (NAO) update on the New Hospital Programme (NHP), Mr Tim Mitchell, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said: “A steadier plan is better than drifting, but patients cannot wait a decade for capacity that we need now."

15 Jan 2026 The College responds to the latest NHS consultant-led referral-to-treatment data, which showed the total waiting list decreased by 145,179 in November 2025, with 7.15 million people on the waiting list.

13 Jan 2026 The College responds to research published by BMJ Open which revealed that the ‘postoperative complications of medical tourism may cost NHS up to £20,000 per patient’

16 Dec 2025 Responding to the Government's plans for NHS dental contract reforms, Dr Charlotte Eckhardt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) said: “FDS welcomes the government’s focus on prioritising patients with the most urgent and complex needs, strengthening prevention in children’s oral health, and supporting better use of the wider dental team."

13 Dec 2025 The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) has warned that it will be “near impossible” for the NHS in England to meet the government’s manifesto pledge on waiting times without further investment, particularly in operating theatres and surgical staff, as the results of the latest UK Surgical Workforce Census are published.

11 Dec 2025 The latest NHS consultant-led referral-to-treatment data shows that the total waiting list increased by 6,002 in October 2025, reaching 7.3 million. The figures released this morning underline the urgent and ongoing need for increased investment in NHS infrastructure, including estates and equipment.

09 Dec 2025 The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) has issued new guidance urging NHS Trusts to strengthen training and tighten governance for surgeons performing robotic procedures, amid growing use of the technology in operating theatres.