NHS app to use AI to determine which service best for patients
The health service has announced that artificial intelligence will be used in its NHS app to determine which service is best suited for patients in England.
A new triage tool will ask patients a series of questions and use the answers to direct them to a GP appointment, pharmacy, emergency department, community service or offer self-care advice.
NHS England said the update will reach more than 200,000 patients over the next 12 months and be available to all app users by April 2028 as part of a “major overhaul” of its technology.
The rollout has been widely welcomed, but some healthcare organizations have called on the NHS to prioritize patient safety, privacy and engagement as they become more reliant on AI.
An initial trial of the tool, at Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex, saw a 29% reduction in the number of people queuing over the phone for an appointment.
Dr Ragu Rajan, who works at the practice, said integrating the tool “means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be referred to the right care first time.”
“This didn’t replace our judgment; it gave us back the time to use it.”
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, said the tool would “help patients get the best service for their needs first time… so clinicians can ensure those who need a GP appointment most can get one sooner”.
It comes as part of a £10 billion investment allocated by the government in 2025 to overhaul the NHS’s technology, digital and data systems.
Additionally, AI tools that record conversations between patients and NHS staff to create real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries will be rolled out across the UK.
It will start with hospital appointments that do not require overnight stays at four NHS trusts in and around 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.
A trial led by Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and conducted at nine NHS centers in London found that NHS staff spent almost 25% of their time interacting with patients when using note-taking technology.
Prof Lynn Woolsey, chief nursing officer of the Royal College of Nursing, said the app could be “an important step in improving technology in the NHS” and could “relieve the administrative burden on nursing staff”.
However, he also emphasized that patient safety and privacy should be at the forefront. “It is the heart of any AI triage system, ensuring that a healthcare professional will be the one making the decisions at key points in the process.”
Pritesh Mistry, a fellow at the King’s Fund think tank, said the announcement “could help accelerate improvements in how to do it”. [the] “The NHS uses modern technology to provide better care for patients.”
“People should find it easier to get support at the right time and in the way that best suits them, whether digitally or physically,” he added.
“And this means the NHS needs to focus strongly on ensuring people are not digitally excluded as clinical services become increasingly dependent on technology.”
Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said: “Any innovation that improves patient care and helps the NHS work more effectively should be welcomed. But new technology needs to be introduced through a fully funded scheme that adds value to taxpayers.”
