The NHS is going to become the world's first health system to use AI to analyze hospital databases and catch potential safety scandals early, the government said.
The Ministry of Health, Social Care said the technology will provide an early warning system that detects patterns and trends and can cause emergency testing. The scheme is part of the NHS 10-year plan, due to be published by WES Streeting this week.
The government acknowledged concerns surrounding patient care concerns after a “spatch of scandals involving mental health and obstetric services.”
Last week, a national survey on NHS Maternity and Neonatal Services was published by Streeting. He said the aim was to provide “truth and accountability” and to investigate the issues of the past 15 years. I will report it in December.
The “signal system” will be launched across the NHS Trust starting in November and will use near-real-time data to provide scrutiny above the average rate of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury as part of its focus on birth care.
Streeting said: “Most treatments in the NHS are safe, but even one lapse that puts a patient at risk is just too many. Every safety violation is a person.
“Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10-year health plan. By adopting AI and introducing the world's first early warning system, we will quickly spot dangerous signs and begin rapid testing before any harm occurs.
“This technology saves lives. It catches dangerous care before it becomes tragedy. This is an important part of our commitment to moving the NHS from analog to digital, providing better and safer care for everyone.”
In February, the NHS Trust (NUH) of Nottingham University Hospital was fined £1.6 million after admitting that it failed to provide safe care and treatment to three babies who died within months of each other.
An Ockenden review published in 2022 investigated 1,862 obstetric cases in Shrewsbury and the Telford NHS Trust, finding hundreds of babies have either died or have serious disabilities due to their mistakes.
The new system is the latest development of AI in the NHS, with Labour looking to increase productivity in health services as it provides additional funding.
This technology is already being used to detect cancer. In January, Keir Starmer recalled in a speech how early stroke patients were diagnosed due to AI.
It is hoped that this technology will reduce latency. It has been one of the government's focuses since winning last year's election. The government has also pledged to improve its IT systems and move the NHS from “analog to digital.”
There were also indications that anonymized health data could be used to train AI. This is because they said there is a “big opportunity” to improve healthcare.
Professor Meghana Pandit, co-medical director of NHS Secondary Care, said:
“This move will turbocharge the speed and efficiency that will identify patient safety concerns and allow them to respond quickly to improve patient care.”
However, Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary at the Royal College of Nursing, said the use of AI to maintain patient safety should not come, not an increase in personnel.
The Ranger said: “Technology always plays a role, but having the right number of staff at the forefront of care is where we start investing in making patients safe.”
The government has also announced a partnership with supermarkets to help reduce calorie consumption.
That could mean that stores have been relocated or products have been reformulated to promote healthier options. The government said that if anyone overweight in the UK cuts their calorie intake to 200 calories a day, obesity could be halved. In reality, this means that 340,000 children and 2 million adults are no longer obese.
The UK has the third highest adult obesity rate in Europe. The Ministry of Health, Social Care said the NHS would cost £11.4 billion a year.
Streeting said: “Through the new health food standards, prevention is better than treatment, making healthy choices easy.”
However, conservatives said it was a “nanny state” approach from the minister.
Helen Whately, secretary of Shadow Work and Pensions, told Sky News:
She added: “I don't think it will reach the government to tell people what to buy. I believe in personal responsibility.”
