A third of hospital trusts not yet using AI tools in clinical practice, study finds

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By Claudia Tanner

A major new study has revealed significant delays and challenges in a £21million programme to roll out artificial intelligence diagnostic tools across hospitals in England – with a third of trusts still not using them in clinical practice.

The research examined implementation across 66 NHS hospital trusts in England, finding that 23 had failed to make their systems operational 18 months after contracting was due to be completed.

The findings of the study – led by University College London (UCL) – provide timely and useful insights for the government, whose 10-Year Health Plan sets out a grand aim to transform the NHS into "the most AI-enabled care system in the world".

AI has significant potential to improve patient care and efficiency by helping with faster, more accurate diagnostics, automating routine tasks, reducing errors and freeing up clinician time for direct patient interaction as well as reducing workforce burdens.

This programme examined in the research – one of the first to analyse real-world implementation of AI in healthcare – was launched by NHS England in 2023 to help diagnose chest conditions including lung cancer.