RCS England hosts Future of Surgery Festival in Birmingham

The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) has hosted its Future of Surgery Festival in Birmingham on 20 and 21 April 2026, bringing together surgeons, researchers, industry partners and patient representatives to explore the technologies, workforce models and clinical pathways likely to shape the next decade of surgical care.

The festival programme covered robotic-assisted surgery, genomic medicine, augmented reality for surgical training, and the integration of AI decision support tools into the operating theatre. It drew on the College's 2018 Commission on the Future of Surgery, which has continued to inform RCS England's work on workforce planning and its policy engagement with NHS England. Contributions came from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, reflecting the collaborative nature of surgical training across the British Isles.

RCS England said the festival format was designed to combine the rigour of a clinical conference with the accessibility of a public-facing event, and that the College expects the Future of Surgery Festival to become a recurring feature of its annual programme. Session recordings will be made available to Fellows, members and registered trainees through the College's online learning platform.