The government has announced the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the NHS which will be used to flag safety issues in real time before they escalate.
The new safety warning system will rapidly analyse healthcare data and identity emerging safety issues.
This development is part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which was initially announced in October 2024, and is part of Labour’s larger ambitions of shifting NHS services from analogue to digital.
The system’s implementation has already started, with a new Maternity Outcomes Signal System launching across NHS trusts from November, using real near-time data to flag higher than expected rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury.
It is hoped that the system could be used to identify abuse, injuries, deaths, and other incidents that could otherwise slip through the net.
Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson CBE, former Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care, Chair Curia’s Health, Care, and Life Sciences Research Group commented: “While the development of a world-first AI early warning system marks a significant step forward in enhancing patient safety, we must carefully consider the practicalities of its implementation.
“Our previous research has highlighted the potential of AI in healthcare, yet the challenges of integration into existing NHS systems remain challenging.
“It is essential that we address these hurdles meticulously to ensure that our ambition of safeguarding patient care translates into reality.
“Quick wins are necessary, but a sustainable solution requires thorough planning and collaboration among all stakeholders involved in this transformative journey.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “While most treatments in the NHS are safe, even a single lapse that puts a patient at risk is one too many. Behind every safety breach is a person – a life altered, a family devastated, sometimes by heartbreaking loss.
“Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10 Year Health Plan. By embracing AI and introducing world-first early warning systems, we’ll spot dangerous signs sooner and launch rapid inspections before harm occurs.
“This technology will save lives – catching unsafe care before it becomes a tragedy. It’s a vital part of our commitment to move the NHS from analogue to digital, delivering better, safer care for everyone.”
Professor Meghana Pandit, Co-National Medical Director – Secondary Care, added: “The NHS in England will be the first country in the world to trial an AI-enabled warning system to flag patient safety issues which will rapidly analyse routine hospital data and reports submitted by healthcare staff from community settings.
“The move will turbo-charge the speed and efficiency with which we identify patient safety concerns and enable us to respond rapidly to improve patient care.”
Sir Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, also commented: “We will develop a stronger focus on all dimensions of quality, using data which we and partners hold on inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes to spot and act on risk earlier.
“We are already developing our new clearer, simpler, assessment approach, and in the future our experienced teams of inspectors, led by our newly appointed Chief Inspectors, will be able to conduct more inspections and share feedback on the findings more quickly – so that providers can make faster improvements, and the public have timely information about care.”
The news follows the government’s commitment to adopting AI more broadly in the health service, with AI tech already being implemented to improve stroke care in the West Midlands.
Earlier this month the government announced it would invest £2 billion in its AI action plan, with hopes to throw “the full weight of Whitehall behind this industry” by implementing 50 recommendations to grow the UK’s AI sector, encourage the adoption of AI across the economy to boost growth, and improve products and services.
The development of AI skills throughout schools and the workforce is also a central pillar of Labour’s plans, with investment in the TechFirst programme also announced earlier this month.
Featured image via Fred Duval / Shutterstock.
