TWO brothers from Midsomer Norton and Saltford underwent successful surgery for prostate cancer within just weeks of each other at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.

The pair are now calling on men with a family history of the cancer to get themselves checked.

David Taylor, 70, from Midsomer Norton, and his younger brother Robert, 67, from Saltford, both had successful robotic radical prostatectomies, carried out by the surgical urology team using the RUH’s Da Vinci surgical robot.

A radical prostatectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue to treat prostate cancer. It's the primary treatment for prostate cancer that hasn't spread beyond the prostate.

Robert had his surgery in mid July 2025, while David followed just a few weeks later, at the start of September.

Robert said: “I went to see my GP for a general check-up and while I was there he suggested that I have a PSA test [a prostate specific antigen test which helps check for prostate cancer].”

“The reading came back high so I was quickly referred to the RUH. I spoke to my brother about it and that’s when he decided to get a test done.”

David said: “Our father and uncle both had prostate cancer, so when Robert had his test done and it came back with a high reading I decided to get one done too. My reading was also high so, like Robert, I was referred straight to the RUH.

“You have a higher chance of getting prostate cancer if you have a history of that type of cancer in your family. So if that’s you, please do get yourself a GP appointment and get checked.”

The brothers both had surgery using the RUH’s Da Vinci surgical robot, which has been funded by the hospital’s charity, RUHX.

The robot helps RUH surgeons to operate on patients with even greater precision, and perform complex procedures with minimal access, while ensuring the highest levels of patient safety.

Thanks to the precision and accuracy provided by the robot, recovery times are improved too, meaning Robert was able to be discharged home the same day as his surgery.

“It was incredible to think that I’d just had major surgery and could get home the same day,” he said. “There was no pressure to get home that day but I felt able to and the medical team were happy for me to get back to familiar surroundings and recover there.

“So my stay at the RUH was actually very brief, but I had a very positive experience from start to finish, the staff were first class.”

David, who stayed at the RUH for one night after his operation, said: “The care I received was magnificent. The consultants, surgeons, nurses - everyone I came into contact with were so caring and supportive.”

Anyone with a prostate gland can be at risk of prostate cancer. To find out more about the symptoms and treatment of prostate cancer on the NHS website - www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer