Surgeons at Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) believe that a new, state-of-the-art surgical robot could help to reduce instances of adult incontinence and impotence among patients undergoing treatment for prostate, bowel and gynaecological conditions.

The hospital's 'Robbie the Robot' appeal aims to raise £1.2 million to fund the device, which is currently being used for prostate cancer surgery.

Experts say that robotic surgery can reduce recovery times and prevent patients from relying on incontinence pads or pants in the future.

The appeal recently received a boost from Greenham Common Trust, which has donated £50,000 towards the equipment.

Gerald Picton, chairman of the West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends, told the Newbury Today website: "The presence of Robbie the Robot at the RBH will maintain the standard of healthcare in west Berkshire as amongst the best in the country."

Dr David Samadi, from the Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York, recently highlighted the benefits of robotic prostate surgery over drug therapies, which he said do not eradicate all of a person's cancer cells.

He revealed that robotic surgery provides minimal side-effects compared with traditional surgery, which often results in male incontinence.

Dr Samadi advised: "There's only one way to win the war against this disease, and that's surgery. Ultimately, there's no substitute for surgically removing the cancer once and for all, and going back to a normal fulfilling life."