Robotics is entering a new phase of growth, with the global market expected to more than double by 2030. While the adoption of robotics is increasing across nearly every major industry, the healthcare sector is somewhat behind the pace. Even despite promising outcomes such as improving operational efficiency and supporting clinical teams, the sector remains cautiously optimistic.

Overcoming this hesitancy involves understanding where robotics will fit meaningfully into clinical and operational settings. Unlike those industries where robotics can be deployed for speed, cost efficiencies or output gains, healthcare introduces an additional layer of scrutiny that comes with a need for patient sensitivity and trust, as well as safety-critical performance and ethical accountability. The robotics industry has now reached a juncture where it must prove its case in terms of reliability, integration and long-term viability across complex care systems.

Robotics adoption in healthcare is behind, despite rampant labour shortages.

Across global industries, a QNX survey found that half (50%) of business leaders say their organisation is using robotics. However, when looking at the healthcare industry specifically, just 40% report use.

Despite slower uptake, the healthcare sector is under mounting pressure to embrace robotics more fully, particularly as it grapples with widespread labour shortages. According to analysis published by the British Medical Association, the UK and England fall well below the OECD EU average for the number of doctors per 1,000 people. And while the medical workforce in Britain is steadily increasing, its growth is uneven and falls short of rising demand for care – a picture suggesting robotics could ease more than a few familiar headaches. 

But there are structural challenges that may be holding healthcare organisations back. A survey of 1,800 clinicians found that digital adoption, including technologies that underpin robotics, is frequently described as ‘slow, complex and bureaucratic.' And those issues are reflected in healthcare leaders' near-term plans. While almost half (49%) of healthcare leaders reported plans to adopt robotics, only 9% intend to do so within the next year, and 17% have no specified timeline. Given a real need for urgency, what's holding them back?

Critical barriers

Security remains one of the most prominent hurdles, with 64% of healthcare leaders citing concerns around data risks, higher than any other sector. Considering the regulatory and reputational implications of a data breach, leak or spill, this concern is perfectly rational.

Imagine a scenario where a vulnerability in a hospital's robotic logistics system is exploited, allowing unauthorised access to patient movement records or even real-time operational data. As well as being a clear technical issue, such a breach could compromise patient safety, violate data protection laws and trigger widespread trust breakdowns across the care system.

Any robotics solution introduced into healthcare must meet a higher bar, demonstrating not just functional capability, but a system-level architecture that protects against failure, contains faults and supports certification. 

One approach is to use microkernel-based operating systems, which involves reducing the system attack surface, isolating faults and enabling secure-by-design deployment models. This type of architecture allows systems to fail safely, without taking down the entire operating environment, which is undoubtedly an essential trait in environments where system integrity is non-negotiable.

Trust in robotics 

Despite slower adoption, healthcare is not resistant to robotics. However, within this complex industry, the pathways from trials to harnessing its complete potential is longer and more deliberate than in less regulated sectors. The emphasis isn't on speed, but on suitability. Systems must work reliably, integrate cleanly and align with established clinical workflows.

Trust also varies depending on the use case or environment in which it has been deployed. Confidence is significantly higher for more routine or mundane functions like material handling and logistics or delivery. But when it comes to performing patient-facing tasks like customer service, or medical procedures, caution persists among healthcare professionals.

However, encouragingly, 66% of respondents said they were at least somewhat comfortable working alongside robots. This suggests that with the right framing, support and safety assurances, the barriers to collaboration between human teams and robotic systems may not be as high as they once were.

The reality is that robotics in healthcare won't reshape the sector or solve long-term challenges simply by being a disruptive technology. It will grow through integration and support for clinical staff, augmenting their capabilities rather than replacing people. Robotics adoption in healthcare is about earning trust, not assuming it. The technology's future will depend less on what it can do in theory and more on how well it addresses the practical, risk-conscious concerns of those delivering care on the ground.