Redbridge GPs are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the analysis of chest X-rays, potentially reducing waiting times for results from three weeks to just three days.
The North East London Cancer Alliance is spearheading the initiative, collaborating with Sectra and Qure.ai to integrate AI into cancer diagnostic pathways. The AI implementation aims to help radiologists and reporting radiographers prioritise urgent cases and enhance decision-making, ultimately streamlining the patient journey.
The project is a collaboration between Barts Health NHS Trust, Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
This initiative aligns with the NHS's broader strategy to shift from analogue to digital healthcare solutions, as outlined in the NHS 10 Year plan. The plan confirms that Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) will lead the delivery of improvement in population health through allocation of financial resources available, working to redesign pathways and ensuring that improved health outcomes and reduced inequalities are delivered. The plan also sets out three shifts, hospital to community; analogue to digital; and sickness to prevention.
Other examples of the shift to digital include:
- implementing an electronic patient record at BHRUT (Oracle Millennium) which is used by Barts Health (BH) and Homerton
- working towards implementing the Secure Data Environment which will provide a data layer for all of London to be able to do predictive modelling and for AI tools to be used on where approved and appropriate.
- promoting the NHS App as an interface for the patient with primary care and secondary care with our Patient Engagement Platforms like Patient Knows Best and DrDoctor
- rolling out Health Navigator AI to identify patients that would benefit from health coaching to reduce health care appointments.
- using digital therapies for depression and anxiety to free up therapist hours.
- delivering more care in virtual wards remote monitoring of higher acuity patients and remote monitoring by Homecare Assistants.
