Doctors given more time
Doctors could soon spend less time filling in forms and more time with patients thanks to a new wave of artificial intelligence tools being trialled across the NHS and wider public services.
One of the most promising developments is an AI-assisted discharge system at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, which drafts patient paperwork by extracting information such as diagnoses, treatments and test results from medical records.
Once checked by a clinician, the documents are used to send patients home and refer them to community care.
Ministers say the innovation could prevent patients being stuck on wards for hours waiting for discharge forms, reduce errors in medical summaries, and free up precious NHS time to focus on frontline care.
Part of AI exemplars
The discharge tool is one of several projects supported by the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars programme, which is trialling real-world applications of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency across health, justice, planning, education and the civil service.
Other projects include “Justice Transcribe,” which halves the time probation officers spend writing up case notes, and “Extract,” which digitises decades-old planning documents in minutes, cutting thousands of hours of manual work.
In education, an “AI Content Store” is being developed to support teachers with marking and lesson planning.
Government backing reform
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, speaking at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, described the new tools as vital to reforming services left “decimated by years of under-investment.”
He argued they could deliver up to £45 billion in productivity gains by removing outdated bureaucracy.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS project marked a shift “from analogue to digital” as part of the government’s 10-year health plan, adding that the technology could help tackle backlogs by speeding up discharges and freeing hospital beds.
Linking services together
The discharge tool is being hosted on the NHS Federated Data Platform, which securely connects IT across health and care services. This ensures patient information can be transferred quickly between hospital teams, GPs and community services, while also making it easier to scale the technology nationwide if trials succeed.
Public tested approach
Some of the AI exemplars, such as the “Consult” tool used in government consultations, have already been tested with the public under a new “social readiness” standard. An independent review by Nesta found 82% of people felt positive or neutral about their use, with many describing the technology as a welcome replacement for “archaic” processes.
The government said more exemplar projects will be announced in the coming months, with those proving most successful rolled out more widely as part of its Plan for Change.
