The new technology will help diagnose patients more quickly for conditions such as cancers, strokes and heart conditions
NHS staff will be given the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology to diagnose and treat patients more quickly thanks to a new £21 million fund announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary today.
NHS Trusts will be able to apply to the AI Diagnostic Fund to accelerate the deployment of the most promising AI imaging and decision support tools to help diagnose patients more quickly for conditions such as cancers, strokes and heart conditions.
The Health and Social Care Secretary has also committed to rolling out AI stroke-diagnosis technology to 100% of stroke networks by the end of 2023 – up from 86% today – helping thousands of patients suffering from a stroke get treated faster.
The ring-fenced funding was announced by Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, ahead of the NHS’s 75th birthday.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
This AI Diagnostic Fund will include the use of AI tools to analyse chest X-Rays - the most common tool used to diagnose lung cancer - which is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK. With over 600,000 chest X-rays performed each month in England, the deployment of diagnostic AI tools to more NHS Trusts will support clinicians to diagnose cancer patients earlier, improving patient outcomes.
The use of AI in the NHS is already having a positive impact on outcomes for patients, with AI in some cases halving the time for stroke victims to get the treatment they need by helping doctors diagnose stroke faster, which has been shown to triple the chance of patients living independently after a stroke.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said:
The £21 million funding will be open for bids for any AI diagnostic tool that trusts want to deploy, but will have to represent value for money for the funding to be approved.
The government has already invested £123 million into 86 AI technologies, which is helping patients by supporting stroke diagnosis, screening, cardiovascular monitoring and managing conditions at home.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology Chloe Smith, said:
Dr Deb Lowe, National Clinical Director for Stroke Medicine, NHS England:
Dr Katharine Halliday, President of the Royal College of Radiologists said:
The government also recently announced a new AI & Digital Regulation Service to help NHS staff find the right information and guidance when it comes to deploying AI devices safely.
This has made it easier for developers and adopters of AI to understand regulations governing AI in the NHS and is saving them time in bringing products to market.
For medical technology alone, the NHS spends £10 billion a year and the global market is forecast to reach £150 billion next year. Access to new technologies means patients benefit enormously, with breakthroughs enabling prevention of ill-health, earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, and faster recovery.