Tens of thousands more people are having waiting-list operations in the South West as the NHS steps up its productivity, with AI, robotics and better systems all playing their part.

New data shows the number of elective procedures carried out by hospitals in 2025 topped 1m for the first time. That is nearly 16% above the pre-pandemic level in 2019.

While the number of in-patient ops dropped slightly, there was a major switch towards day-case treatment, enabling many more people to go home without having to stay on the wards overnight. The day-case total in 2025 was nearly a fifth higher than in 2019, at 927,676.

This step-change has contributed to an overall 2.6% increase in productivity for acute hospitals in the South West since April 2025 – dwarfing the NHS historical average of 0.6% and well ahead of a national target for improvement of 2%.

Managers are making the most of physical capacity and clinician time by greater use of clever theatre scheduling software, booking appointments via the NHS app, monitoring patients remotely and surgical robots.

This means NHS productivity – the number procedures and consultations for the amount funding put in – is now bouncing back towards pre-pandemic levels, having fallen by a quarter in 2020/21 as lockdowns took their toll.

Dr Trevor Smith, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the South West, said: “It’s fantastic to break the million mark for treating people on waiting lists. Staff have been working really hard to get us back to where we were before covid, while at the same time we’ve been introducing new systems and technologies to make the most of our capacity.

“Day-cases are a classic win-win, making best use of theatres and new techniques like robotics so patients can get home quicker.

“Talk of better productivity sounds dry and dull, but it has real-life consequences as more people get the treatment they need, faster.

These are just a few examples of how new ways of working and new technology are increasing efficiency in the region:

Making better use of operating theatres

• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has improved usage of operating theatres from 80% to consistently over 85% since August 2025, making better use of capacity and treating more patients.

The trust has done this by adopting technology to apply flexible targets for utilisation, enabling booking teams and clinicians to monitor and adjust theatre lists, so down-time is minimised.

• University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust is using new software to align waiting lists with information such as staff rosters and annual leave, to improve the scheduling of operations.

This allows managers and clinicians to plan their theatre schedules well in advance and ensure they are making as much use of their theatres as they can.

Since adopting the tool, the trust has created the potential capacity for an additional 2,500 surgical treatments per year and is booking patients in for appointments further in advance than they ever have.

Using robots to improve surgery

• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is building a range of precision robotic surgery. This not only improves outcomes but also increases the number of operations services are able to offer and frees up hospital beds, as patients recover quicker.

The latest technique introduced is a minimally invasive robotic waterjet therapy called Aquablation which removes excess prostate tissue. Recently a record seven patients were treated as day cases in one session by a resident doctor.

• A robotic ‘navigation unit’ is being used by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust at Musgrove Park Hospital to revolutionise spinal surgery, guiding the screws that are used in a spinal-fusion to stabilise a patient’s vertebrae. This helps reduce time and risk, increases accuracy, and reduces the amount of X-ray exposure for surgeons.

Musgrove Park is only the second hospital of its size to have access to this advanced technology.

Using AI to lift the admin burden on clinical staff

• The use of AI notetaking tools is freeing up more time for clinicians to focus on their patients, rather than typing up notes or looking at a screen, enhancing the quality of consultations and improving overall patient satisfaction.

The benefits are being felt in GP surgeries and at hospitals, turning consultations across a range of departments, from A&E to out-patients, into notes and letters that are then checked by doctors before being finalised.

One organisation piloting this ‘ambient voice technology’ (AVT) is Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.  It used AVT in 2,700 consultations last year, with good feedback from patients and clinicians alike.

Once fully deployed across all out-patient clinics, the technology should enable the trust to offer an additional 15,000 appointments a year, enabling people to be seen more quickly.

NHS England South West is supporting rollout of AVT across other a range of other settings, to help maximise the benefits.