All of NHS England’s 107 stroke treatment centres are now using AI software to support diagnoses, according to the organisation’s head of elective care.
Darren Bold said a national roll out has underpinned a big increase in the use of the technology over the past year.
The software significantly reduces the time it takes to process and interpret brain scans, which helps clinicians make faster decisions on treating patients, and improves the chances of better outcomes.
“I am delighted to state that as of late 2024, every stroke centre in England (107 sites in total) is now utilising the technology, meaning AI is already playing an important role in improving the care of around 80,000 people who have a stroke in England every year,” he said in a blogpost.
“An early stage analysis of this AI technology has shown it can reduce the time between someone presenting with a stroke and receiving treatment by more than 60 minutes, and is associated with a tripling in the number of stroke patients recovering with no or only slight disability - defined as achieving functional independence - from 16% to 48%.”
Earlier this year, a survey by the Health Foundation showed there is majority support among NHS staff and the public for the use of AI in healthcare, with approval rates of 76% and 54% respectively.
