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Enabling clinical teams to hear clearly, respond instantly, and maintain focus during complex robotic-assisted surgery
Robotic-assisted surgeries are transforming the way clinical teams operate, delivering greater precision, minimally invasive procedures, and improved patient outcomes. At Spire Murrayfield Hospital, part of Spire Healthcare, the robotics team relies on Quail Digital's Pro11 Wireless Headset System to support the demands of complex procedures, whilst ensuring clear, continuous communication that can be heard and acted on instantly across clinical teams.
As Linda Taylor, Robotic Lead at Spire Murrayfield explains:
Having the headsets meant people could become more focused and communication became clearer
Challenges
- Surgeons working remotely from the console lose direct visual and non-verbal contact with the team
- Increased pressure on verbal communication and instruction confirmation
- Background noise and surrounding conversations can impact focus and workflow
Benefits
- Clear, instantly heard, hands-free team communication
- Improved focus and reduced distractions during procedures
- Faster, more confident confirmation of critical surgical instructions
- Enhanced efficiency and calmer clinical environments
Challenges
Robotic-assisted surgery has transformed surgical care, improving precision, patient outcomes, and recovery times. However, it also fundamentally changes how clinical team works together.
At Spire Murrayfield Hospital, the introduction of robotic surgery created a new communication challenge: the surgeon was no longer positioned at the operating table, but operating remotely from a console across the room.
That physical separation removed traditional visual cues, and made the ability to hear and respond to instructions clearly critical to procedural success.
Linda explains:
Robotic surgery totally changed theatre dynamics and behaviours - instead of having a surgeon at the centre of the room, they were put in the corner [...] so having the headsets meant people could become more focused and communication [became clearer].
Without clear, reliable communication, robotic surgery can introduce delays, repeated instructions, and added pressure on the surgical team - particularly for surgeons working under increased cognitive load at the console.
Benefits
To support clear communication in robotic procedures, Spire Murrayfield implemented Quail Digital's Pro11 Headset System.
The Pro11 enables instant, wireless team communication across the clinical environment, ensuring instructions are heard clearly first time, acknowledged immediately, and acted on without delay or disruption.
In robotic surgery, where timing, coordination, and accuracy are essential, this has had a measurable impact on team performance - reducing the need for repetition and allowing teams to operate with greater confidence and precision.
By reducing unnecessary background conversations and creating a dedicated communication channel, the system helps maintain concentration throughout complex procedures - ensuring critical information is not missed, repeated, or misunderstood.
Linda adds:
It keeps people more focused...it means people are paying attention to what's going on."
For Spire Murrayfield's robotic team, the Pro11 has become an essential part of delivering safer, more efficient robotic-assisted surgery - ensuring every instruction is clearly heard, understood, and executed, strengthening teamwork and supporting better patient care.
