A virtual reality platform which provides doctors with a “flight simulator” for surgery has become the first of its kind to receive accreditation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

FundamentalVR’s platform, Fundamental Surgery, which combines virtual reality with haptics (sense of touch), is now Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited.

It’s the first simulation with HapticVR to receive CPD points and will cover the Fundamental Surgery total hip replacement training simulation.

Fundamental Surgery was launched in August 2018 and allows surgeons to experience and navigate the same visuals, sounds and feelings they would during a real surgical procedure.

It’s compatible with any laptop, VR headset or haptic device.

On top of the usual visual cues in surgery, those using the platform can also feel the movement and interaction of tissue, muscle and bone to better prepare them for the actual operation.

Richard Vincent, founder and chief executive of FundamentalVR, said: “With Fundamental Surgery, we have developed a completely safe and realistic teaching environment for surgeons to learn and hone their skills combining virtual reality with tactile feedback that is so important for developing the muscle memory associated with different procedures.”

The system has already been deployed by a number of NHS organisations, including St George’s Hospital in London and University College London Hospital.

It’s also used by the Mayo Clinic and UCLA in the US and Sana in Germany.