NHS England is to set up an expert group to work through details of where AI can be best be used in the health service.
The plan is among the details of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published last week, which includes a section on digital and technological innovations.
Overall, this reflects the findings of the Topol Review in 2019 with an emphasis on digital, AI and robotics.
While much of the initial reaction focused on the plan to increase the number of training places for medical professionals, the document says there is greater potential for AI in diagnostic support, contributing to administrative processes through applications such as speech recognition, and predictive health analytics, patient triage and preventative healthcare.
“Foundational AI models inclusive of generative AI or large language models, which can understand and produce and image, text and audio, are predicted to transform work across all sectors,” it says, adding:
“To ensure we take advantage of all the opportunities AI can officer, NHS England, working with government, will convene an expert group to work through in more details where AI can best be used, and what steps need to be taken so that it supports NHS staff in coming years.”
Ongoing efforts
It points to existing work, such as the recently published AI and Digital Healthcare Technologies Capability Framework, investment in the Fellows in Clinical Artificial Intelligence programme, and reviewing initial evaluations from the AI Award, which are due to be completed by the end of 2024.
Other important elements include administrative automation, which is making progress throughout the health service. The plan says 44% of all administrative work in general practice can be mostly or fully automated.
It highlights the achievements so far of robotic process automation and says this if all trusts implement ‘time validated’ processes it could save more than 7.2 million hours annually.
It also promotes the potential of virtual wards – the use of which is increasing in the NHS – and the plan to set up a Federated Data Platform to give staff easier access to data.
“The successful adoption of these innovations requires continued, sustained investment in digital technologies and ongoing work to understand the impact of these technologies on staff and workforce planning, transformation and skills development,” the plan says.
“This includes capturing and driving potential changes in workflows, upskilling and training staff to maximise technologies and avoid the risk of de-skilling, the creation of new roles and responsibilities, and further ethical and legal considerations to ensure safety, accountability and fairness.”
