The future of surgery

SIR – Contrary to Harry de Quetteville’s assertion, surgeons are leading, rather than hindering, the technology revolution in healthcare (“Stop carping, doctors: join the tech Reformation”, Comment, September 16)

We are excited that patients will soon benefit from huge advances in robotics, AI, 3D printing and personalised health data. The Royal College of Surgeons’ Commission on the Future of Surgery is now exploring how these advances will affect the delivery of surgical care.

Patients who are in better control of their own health, whether by using wearable devices or by testing for their genetic predisposition to future illnesses, can only be a good thing. Prevention, or early intervention, is always better than cure.

In this technology-driven world, the doctor’s role will be to help patients navigate their personal health data and provide tailored support, so that they can understand their risk of illness, as well as their treatment options. Richard Kerr Consultant Neurosurgeon & Chairman Commission on the Future of Surgery Royal College of Surgeons London WC2 SIR – The single biggest problem facing the NHS is that there are not enough appointments to meet current demand, let alone demand for thousands of “instant” consultations via smartphones.

When the patient is not in the room, doctors miss vital information which can only be obtained by physical examination. To understand complex medical information online requires a working knowledge of statistics, plus the ability to filter out genuine research from the hustlers and snake oil merchants of the internet. Part of a doctor’s job is to act as gatekeeper to the NHS, and it is not technophobia to point out what is unworkable. Dr Chris Nancollas

Yorkley, Gloucestershire