AI-powered triage is coming to the NHS App

The NHS will include an AI-powered triage tool in the NHS App in an attempt to cut waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients.

The move is part of a £10 billion plan over three years to deploy AI technologies across the health service to try to improve efficiencies, and according to a report that was leaked in May, allow the NHS to save money by reining in recruitment targets.

The triage tool will help to direct NHS patients to the most appropriate NHS service, "whether that's a GP appointment, pharmacy, A&E, community service or self-care advice," according to NHS England, which said AI notetaking tools are also being rolled out to cut the administrative burden on staff.

The update to the NHS App will start to roll out to around 200,000 patients in the next 12 months, ahead of a full rollout by April 2028.

"I'm certain the technological innovations I've chosen to prioritise will get patients to the right care faster, free our brilliant clinicians from mountains of paperwork, and help drive down waiting times," said Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray.

"By harnessing the power of AI – using it to direct people to the right service first time and giving clinicians back more time to spend with patients – we're making the NHS work better for patients and staff alike and helping make it fit for the future for its next 78 years," he added.

In trials of the triage tool, GP practices saw a 29% reduction in people waiting on the phone during the 8:00 am rush, with no adverse impact on patient satisfaction levels. One GP involved in the pilot, Dr Ragu Rajan from Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex, said: "It hasn't replaced our judgement – it's given us back the time to use it."

Meanwhile, an NHS study published last year found that the AI notetaking tools, known as ambient voice technology, can free up clinicians to spend nearly a quarter more of their time with patients.

Scaling the technology nationally to over 11,000 A&E clinicians in England could create space for over 9,000 extra A&E consultations each day, according to the study, which was led by Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The new AI initiatives come alongside other digitalisation drives, including allowing NHS App users to join online appointments with clinicians across England using NHS Online, the new virtual hospital service, the introduction of a single patient record, and the rollout of Microsoft Copilot to half a million NHS workers.

Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash