Would You Trust AI To Tell You Where To Seek Medical Help?

The NHS wants to see AI more within healthcare and the services we use everyday. One of such plans show that millions of patients would soon have to go through AI first, before even speaking to a doctor.

For this plan, it wants an AI tool in the NHS App that asks people about their symptoms before directing them to the most suitable NHS service. In other words, things like a GP appointment, a pharmacy consultation, A&E, community care or advice on looking after themselves at home would be done digitally first.

The announcement is included in a £10 billion investment in NHS technology, digital and data systems. The NHS said the AI triage tool will reach more than 200,000 patients during the next year before becoming available to all NHS App users by April of 2028. Patients who prefer existing ways of contacting their GP will continue to have that option.

The plans also go much more than symptom checking. AI will record conversations between patients and clinicians, producing clinical notes and summaries automatically. The NHS hopes this will give doctors and nurses more time with patients and less time typing notes.

Can AI Make Getting Medical Help Easier?

The NHS believes these tools can make everyday healthcare run better. A trial at a GP practice in Sussex led to a 29% reduction in people queuing on the phone for appointments, helping to ease the well known rush for appointments first thing in the morning.

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.”

Doctors who have already used this tech say it helps them spend more time treating patients instead of completing paperwork. Dr Ragu Rajan from Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex said, “As a rural practice serving 23,000 patients across four sites, we know how hard it can be for people to reach us. 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 judgement – it’s given us back the time to use it.”

The NHS also said a study led by Great Ormond Street Hospital found AI note taking tools gave clinicians nearly a quarter more time with patients. A pilot at St George’s Hospital in Tooting saved clinicians an average of 47 minutes during each shift, which allowed each member of staff to see one extra patient.

What Could Go Wrong, Though?

Health leaders say AI should make healthcare better, but only if it works accurately and protects patient information.

Lynn Woolsey, Chief Nursing Officer at the Royal College of Nursing, said, “There are also warnings to heed, with growing concerns about overstated, overly optimistic assessments of the productivity benefits from AI.

“We cannot have situations where it increases bureaucracy through the need to correct flawed or inaccurate work.

“Patients must be reassured that any new systems handling their information, such as ambient voice technology, are accurate and properly protect confidentiality.”

Those comments focus on two of the biggest issues with medical AI. One is privacy, since these systems process huge amounts of sensitive health information. The other is data quality; AI can only work from the information it receives, and poor quality data can produce poor quality advice.

So, Should Patients Trust AI?

HealthTech experts believe AI already has an important use in medicine, particularly when it helps clinicians rather than replacing them. Stuart Harvey, Chief Executive of Datactics, said, “AI is changing the way both private and public sector bodies think about how to optimise their resources and improve operational efficiency.

“Within healthcare, AI is already being deployed across multiple layers in the healthcare industry, supporting faster diagnostics and clinical support by analysing images to detect diseases earlier and more accurately, but its applications are becoming increasingly specialised and introducing this into the NHS app will further enhance healthcare efficiency.

“However, like any AI system, the quality of data will determine whether this will create a strong impact or rather just adds another layer of complexity to an already fragile system. If the data feeding these models is incorrect or incomplete, the outputs will be unreliable and this will fall onto already overstretched staff. The NHS must prioritise data efficiency over AI ambition for this to work successfully.”

So, as much as patients may soon find AI is the first thing they use when they open the NHS App, doctors will still continue making clinical decisions. The technology will direct people to the right NHS service and save time for healthcare staff. How much people end up trusting in these systems will depend on how well they work from a data handling and user experience point of view.