Scottish hospital to use robots for day-to-day tasks

A new Scottish hospital is to be the first in the UK to use robots for day-to-day tasks.

Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert, Stirlingshire, will use robots to deliver food, carry clinical waste, dispense drugs and clean operating theatres, the BBC has reported.

According to Ian Mullen, NHS Forth Valley chairman, the new hospital will be “packed full of design features to improve patient care and the life of staff”.

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The robots will have their own dedicated corridors, beneath the hospital. Mullen said: “Members of staff will use a hand-held PDA to call up the robot to move meal trays, or linen, or whatever. The robot will come up the service lift by itself, pick up the item and go back into the lift.”

Rather than replacing humans, it is hoped the robots will free up time for staff to spend with patients, and the hospital will keep one human on standby, in case of technical problems.