Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has launched its new ‘1,000 challenge’, in the aim of raising £1.5 million to buy a new surgical robot for the hospital.

Robot-assisted surgery promotes faster healing and recovery times. It is a form of keyhole surgery in which the surgeon operates on the patient through a small incision by controlling a computer-enhanced robot, which copies the surgeon’s hands and wrist movements, increasing precision. According to the ACT, the surgery can reduce hospital stays from several weeks to a few days.

The 1,000 Challenge involves finding an activity to perform 1,000 times to raise £1,000, such as running or cycling 1,000 km, or even gaming for 1,000 Minecraft days, in order to raise £1,000.

The hospital currently has one robot which is used to treat kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer patients. In a press release, the ACT said that the money raised “will help fund another surgical robot, revolutionising patient care across six specialties in the hospital and improving outcomes for over 1,500 additional patients every year.”

In the press release, Emily Willdigg, ACT’s Community Relationships Lead, said: “It costs approximately £1,000 per patient to provide robot-assisted surgery at Addenbrooke’s. By getting together with colleagues, friends and family and supporting our 1,000 Challenge, you will be enabling one person to have even better surgery.“’

ACT described their purpose as raising money to promote “improved patient care that allows more people to be diagnosed quicker and more accurately, to get the treatment they need in environments that support health, and to recover more quickly or get the support that they need over and above what would be possible through NHS funding alone.”