Bowel cancer mortality rates in a Black Country borough are among the highest - prompting call for robotic ops to reduce deaths
Figures show bowel cancer mortality rates in Walsall are among the highest in the region prompting calls for robotic technology to be used to improve outcomes for patients.
Walsall and Bloxwich MP Valerie Vaz MP said over a two-year period the mortality rate for cases at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which manages Walsall Manor Hospital, was 38.1 per cent in the period up to 2023, according to a National Bowel Cancer Audit report. The figure was 21 per cent higher than at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital for the same period.
Earlier this year Walsall Manor Hospital became the first district general hospital in England to offer robot-arm-assisted surgery for hip and knee replacement patients. The MP wants the method to be extended to bowel cancer treatment.
Miss Vaz said: “I am concerned that Walsall Manor does not have a robotic surgery facility for bowel cancer so I raised this in a debate on December 19.
“Cases of bowel cancer emergency admissions in Walsall and Bloxwich are the highest among Black Country Hospitals – double those of the next highest.”
“Figures show that the two-year mortality rate for cases under the care of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is at 38.1per cent, which is 21per cent higher than the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust.”
“And bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death which is alarming as robotic surgery is an effective intervention in treating bowel cancer.”
“I called for the Public Health Minister to look into providing this cost-effective, timely and life-saving treatment for my constituents.”
Miss Vaz raised the issue while taking part in a recent parliamentary adjournment debate stating, "Why should my constituents have to travel to New Cross Hospital to access a quick, easy and cost-effective way to treat this cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer death?"
Dudley Group Foundation Trust mortality rates for bowel cancer in the same period was 17.1 per cent, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust 15.4 per cent, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust 12.4 per cent, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust which covers Staffordshire 17.3 per cent and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust which covers Wyre Forest 14.1 per cent.
Residents often travel to other hospitals for robotic surgery under the Black Country Provider Collaborative - an agreement between the four health trusts including Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust to address health inequalities by sharing facilities and expertise.
In December 2023, Frank George, aged 57, from Leamore, in Walsall, successfully underwent a robotic op for throat cancer at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital after discovering a pea-sized lump while shaving. He was among the first to benefit when a da Vinci machine was used to remove his tonsils after a growth was found along with a tumour on his neck.
Wolverhampton's New Cross has been leading the way in robotics with surgeons performing such surgery in urology for 14 years. Those successes led to the development of a strategy to expand the use of the specialist equipment to hospitals in neighbouring boroughs.
There has since been an expansion with Russells Hall and New Cross hosting more robotic procedures and a kidney removal procedure was carried out for the first time in March 2023 at the Dudley site using a £1.5 million machine.
Across the Midlands region there are about 28 robots in use.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.