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Dundee GP surgery trials a robot that handles routine heart-health checks before patients see a doctor

A Dundee GP practice is testing a three-foot robot that guides patients through routine cardiovascular checks, leaving clinicians more time for conversation and care.

By The TEA Editorial Desk · 28 August 2026

A patient taking part in a robot-assisted cardiovascular health check in Dundee Image: BBC / HEART-POD projectOriginal source

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A Dundee GP surgery is testing a small robot that can take patients through routine cardiovascular checks before they sit down with a doctor.

The three-foot machine, adapted by the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, guides patients through measurements and health questions used in annual cardiovascular reviews.

The trial at Erskine Medical Practice is part of the HEART-POD project. are testing whether routine information gathering can be handled safely and consistently before an appointment, giving GPs more of the itself for discussion, decision-making and care.

Patients still see a clinician. The robot is not playing doctor. It is doing the repetitive first bit, gathering measurements and answers that a clinician would otherwise need to collect manually.

If the approach works at scale, researchers believe it could help busy practices see more patients without turning appointments into conveyor belts. Sometimes the most useful technology is not the one replacing a human, but the one giving the human a few minutes back.