Life-saving surgery inspires multi-million-pound gift | News

Gordon and Stella Murray have donated a multimillion-pound robotic surgical system to Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, after Gordon experienced first-hand the potential of robotic-assisted surgery during treatment for oesophageal cancer.

Motoring visionary Prof Gordon Murray CBE, whose innovations helped shape some of Formula One's most iconic cars, underwent robotic-assisted surgery with a da Vinci Xi system in 2024 after being diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a form of oesophageal cancer.

So impressed were Gordon and Stella by the technology and Gordon's recovery that they chose to fund the purchase of the latest state-of-the-art da Vinci 5 surgical system through a donation to Royal Surrey Charity.

The donation strengthens Royal Surrey's robotic-assisted surgery programme, which is recognised as one of the country's leading centres for robotic-assisted surgery.

More than 30 surgeons at the Trust perform robotic-assisted procedures, and Royal Surrey is among a select number of centres in the UK to have carried out more than 10,000 robotic-assisted operations.

Prof Murray's cancer was detected during a routine endoscopy to monitor a long-standing history of acid reflux. The diagnosis came almost a decade after his brother, Terry, died from the disease.

Professor Shaun Preston, a general surgeon at Royal Surrey, performed Prof Murray's robotic-assisted operation.

Robotic-assisted surgical systems do not replace surgeons. Instead, they enhance their ability to carry out complex procedures through tiny incisions with greater precision, control and dexterity.

Surgeons operate the system from a console, using a minimally invasive approach that can lead to faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, improved outcomes and fewer complications for patients.

Prof Murray's recovery was so successful that, within months of surgery, he had returned to working 10-hour days doing what he loves most, designing high-performance cars.

Seeing first-hand the impact that robotic-assisted surgery had on Gordon's treatment and recovery, Gordon and Stella decided they wanted to help ensure more patients could benefit from the technology in the future.

Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are incredibly grateful to Gordon and Stella Murray for this extraordinary gift to Royal Surrey Charity.

“As someone who has spent his career pushing the boundaries of engineering and innovation, Gordon recognised the transformative impact this cutting-edge technology had on his own care.

“Their generous donation will help more patients access this advanced treatment, helping them recover more quickly and return to the people and activities that matter most.

“There is no doubt that the impact of this gift will be felt by thousands of patients and their families for many years to come.”

On Monday 12 October, Gordon and Stella Murray visited the Trust to see the surgical robot their donation helped make possible and to tour the Trust's soon-to-open Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre.

In recognition of Gordon and Stella Murray's extraordinary generosity, Royal Surrey invited Gordon to help name its fleet of robotic-assisted surgical systems.

The da Vinci 5 funded through their donation has been named George, after Gordon's friend and legendary Beatles guitarist George Harrison, who died from cancer. Gordon also named three of the Trust's other robots after Harrison's fellow Beatles, John, Paul and Ringo. The fifth surgical robot has been named Bob.

Prof Murray said: "I was so impressed with Prof Shaun Preston and the team, the technology and my post-operative recovery, that donating a da Vinci 5 robot seemed to be the best way to say thank you.”