"The AI Doctor Will See You Now"

"The AI Doctor Will See You Now"

NHS app will use artificial intelligence to direct patients to services under new rollout

Artificial intelligence will be used on the NHS app to direct patients to the most appropriate service, officials have announced.

The rollout of the triage tool forms part of a “major overhaul of tech” in the coming years in a bid to transform NHS services.

The technology adapts the questions on the NHS app depending on the response from patients to get a more detailed view of their condition.

It then directs them to the best service, such as a GP appointment, pharmacy or emergency department.

The update is expected to reach more than 200,000 patients in the next 12 months and will be available to all NHS app users by April 2028.

A trial at a GP practice in Sussex led to a 29% fall in the number of people queuing on the phone for an appointment.

Dr Ragu Rajan, from Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex – which ran the initial trial, said: “Integrating AI triage directly into the NHS app means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be directed to the right care first time.

“It hasn’t replaced our judgment – it’s given us back the time to use it.”

It comes as the health service sets out how £10 billion in funding, allocated by the Government last year, will be used to overhaul technology and data systems.

Part of this includes AI which records conversations between patients and staff to generate real-time transcriptions and save time on note-taking, which will be rolled out nationally.

A trial led by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (Gosh) and carried out across nine NHS sites in London found NHS staff to spent almost 25% more of their time interacting with patients when using the tool.

The rollout will start will hospital appointments that do not require an overnight stay at four NHS trusts in London – St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston and Richmond.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are also expanding their AI note-taking programmes.

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said: “The major overhaul of tech we’re making over the next few years will transform services.

“The new AI tool in the NHS app will help get patients to the best service for their needs first time – whether that’s a GP appointment, trip to a pharmacy or advice on caring for themselves at home – so that clinicians can make sure those most in need of a GP appointment can get one sooner.

“We’re also seeing huge benefits from the introduction of AI notetaking tools, with clinicians finding they’re able to spend up to a quarter more of their time with patients, so we’re rolling out the tools as quickly as possible across the NHS.

“We’re prioritising the improvements that will make the biggest difference and supporting local leaders to adopt them to drive change in their services – helping to cut waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients so that the NHS is fit for the future.”

Health Secretary James Murray said: “As the NHS marks 78 years of serving patients, this investment shows how we can build on that proud legacy by embracing the technologies that will shape its future.

“As someone who believes deeply in the power of tech to transform public services, I’ve made sure we’re backing the right innovations, which will have the biggest positive impact on patients and clinicians and give us the biggest bang for our buck.

“I’m certain the technological innovations I’ve chosen to prioritise will get patients to the right care faster, free our brilliant clinicians from mountains of paperwork, and help drive down waiting times.