Every day artificial intelligence (AI) is showing how important it is to the future of the NHS across the capital. From improving diagnosis rates to faster automation of patient registrations and more accurate patient referral support tools.
The new AI Framework launched today (3 March 2025) will help the NHS to deliver safe and ethical pathways to use these tools effectively. The framework covers the agreed way of introducing, using and monitoring Artificial Intelligence (AI) products across the NHS in London.
The NHS faces record levels of demand and needs to change to be able to best support people and communities across the capital. Patients can find it hard to get appointments and can face a long wait for treatment. AI tools could improve this if used effectively and responsibly.
“The NHS AI Framework for London is such an important step to using AI to help enhance NHS services for Londoners” Dr Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director and Chief Clinical Information Officer, NHS England said. “Demand for NHS services continues to increase and AI has real potential to deliver tangible transformation to improve how we can support people who need care and treatment. I am delighted that we are using the Framework to help ensure we can build a strong collaborative approach to make the most of the promise that AI delivers.”
Sigal Hachlili Dwyer, Director of AI, Data & Digital Innovation at Guy’s and St Thomas said: “AI tools have the ability to change how we care for people across London, however they also bring with them risk. This Framework gives us an important and consistent way of supporting the safe and effective introduction and use of these tools. Security and careful management of these products has been paramount in our work and I’m pleased to see us all tackling this head on in the Framework.”
The speed at which the AI field is growing provides us with the opportunity to move away from locally planned approaches to using digital tools that we have done before and plan an efficient and effective way of using AI products that can benefit everyone. The Framework has been developed with this in mind to help provide consistency across London.
“We need to do this together” said Andrew Bland, Chief Executive Officer, NHS South East London “AI offers a huge opportunity to our residents, and I am pleased that my team at South East London Integrated Care System have driven this work forward on behalf of London. Through using this Framework, all partners will be able to share information on AI programmes and how well any tools are doing so that we can learn from one another and improve or respond to concerns rapidly. We will be able to create better services for our residents and help ensure better value for taxpayers by doing it once and sharing far and wide”.
Before the NHS AI Framework for London was developed, there were many documents prescribing and guiding the use of AI, but a lack of clarity about how to practically move forward with the safe and efficient use of AI. The Framework addresses this shortfall and offers a way to consistently harness the benefits of AI across the NHS in London.
The Framework also describes about how we will work with staff, people and communities to get the most from AI tools to support better health and care. This is critical to the success of AI, as we need to ensure that we have the trust of patients and staff in the way that we are considering these new technologies, and that we have in place robust processes to address risks, issues and concerns if they are raised.
You can read the Framework here.