The next generation of young surgeons attending a Cambridge-based training centre are set to benefit from more world-class facilities – and pioneering tuition in a fast-growing area of healthcare.
The Cambridge Digital Health and Surgical Training Centre spans 12,000 square feet, bringing together cutting-edge facilities under one roof.
Ground Floor – Surgical Training Centre: A state-of-the-art environment offering exceptional “wetlab” facilities, including surgical tables, X-ray machines, and advanced equipment designed to support all-immersive, hands-on training.
First Floor – Digital Health Training Centre formally opening in early 2026: This centre will support immersive training using extended reality and Artificial Intelligence.
With its combination of advanced surgical and digital health training resources, the Centre is set to become the most technically sophisticated clinical training facility in the UK, providing healthcare professionals with an unrivalled environment for learning, practice, and innovation.
The Shelford Surgical Training in Advanced Robotic Technology Programme (START) is an opportunity for surgical trainees to develop skills, across the Intuitive da Vinci, CMR Surgical Versius and Medtronic Hugo™ RAS systems.
The programme is the result of a partnership between the Shelford Group and Newcastle Surgical Training Centre, helps meet Government ambitions on the roll-out of robot-assisted surgery, and has support from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
The investments were marked during a celebration today (10 December) at the centre, which is on the Quorum site off Barnwell Road and is part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a member of the Shelford Group.
Centre director, Dr Arun Gupta, a CUH consultant in anaesthesia, neurosciences and trauma intensive care, pictured above, said:
We are delighted and very proud to be part of the launch of the Shelford Group Robotic programme, and for our Centre to be the venue for the launch.
Patients at Addenbrooke’s have for some years benefited from the use of Robot-assisted surgery and the START programme will help us remain at the vanguard of this work.
Centre director, Dr Arun Gupta
President of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, Mr Tim Mitchell, pictured above, added:
Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to transform patient care by enhancing surgical precision, improving visualisation, and supporting better operative outcomes, as well as enabling faster recovery and fewer complications. It is a rapidly developing area of surgical expertise, and the College welcomes initiatives such as the START programme that aim to advance training and education in this field.
Mr Tim Mitchell
Professor Clive Kay, Chair of the Shelford Group and CEO of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, pictured above, said:
I am delighted that the Shelford Group has been able to support Newcastle to share its expertise in surgical robotics training across the country. Building on this pilot, we hope to roll out the programme more widely to broaden access and help build a workforce with the surgery skills they will need for the future.
Professor Clive Kay
