Launching the Versius robotic platform
Launching the first Versius robotic platform in Ireland is something the staff were very excited about, making St. John’s a reference centre for the Versius Robot.
The programme is a joint initiative between St John’s Hospital and the HSE Midwest, led by J Calvin Coffey, consultant general and colorectal surgeon, Christina Fleming, consultant robotic colorectal surgeon and Emer Martin, CEO. It was made possible thanks to the activities of the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust and generous support of the JP McManus Pro Am 2022 who funded the substantial capital investment required and without whom the project would not have been possible.
J Calvin Coffey, consultant general and colorectal surgeon, is the clinical lead for robotic surgery in the Mid West and played a significant role in establishing the Versius programme, in collaboration with the theatre and management staff of St John’s. The opportunity to work closely together on such a significant development for surgery added further impetus to the project.
“We established this programme with a view to expanding access to robotic surgery to more patients, more surgeons, surgical teams, and more hospitals,” says Coffey
The Versius system was installed by M.E.D. Surgical, part of Uniphar Medtech, in conjunction with CMR Surgical, a medical device company based in Cambridge responsible for delivering the Versius Robot.
Martin says: “Versius is ideal for use in smaller hospitals like St. John’s due to its ability to move easily between operating rooms without the need for large operating spaces or structural changes to theatre rooms. It is, as its name suggests, a versatile operating system.”
Christina Fleming, consultant robotic colorectal surgeon, performed the first Irish operation using the Versius system and played a central role in rapidly establishing clinical momentum with 10 robotic cases completed by March 2026. The Versius programme is now fully operational and has co-expansion to incorporate gynaecologic and urologic surgery. Gynaecologic surgery began on 12 June 2026.
The implementation of this robotic service is a major milestone in Irish surgery. The program in St. John’s is the first to demonstrate that robotic surgery can be achieved in a safe, efficient, and sustainable manner in the smaller hospital setting.
Provision of robotic surgery in this setting generates considerable access related opportunities across multiple specialties. It enables highly skilled surgeons and surgical teams to deliver the most technologically advanced form of surgery outside the Model 4 hospital setting.
Staff – including nurses, support staff, and administration – embraced this innovation with enthusiasm, farsighted vision, and significant upskilling. The coordination involved in a project like this is key and it could not have achieved its level of success to date without everyone working so well together.
While celebrating this cutting edge development in technology, the robotic programme at the same time, is sustained within a caring and compassionate culture, highlighting our shared commitment to the highest standards of clinical excellence and patient experience.
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