AI to speed up lung cancer diagnosis in NHS hospitals

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help clinicians diagnose lung cancer quickly and accurately will be rolled out across England.

The Government has announced £21m of funding to support AI tools being deployed in 64 NHS trusts in time for winter.

NHS staff will be able to use the AI tools when they are analysing X-rays and CT scans. The AI tools are expected to increase efficiency and reduce waiting times.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:  “We are rolling out more cutting-edge AI technology across the NHS to help with quicker, more accurate diagnosis of lung cancer because patients deserve the best care possible.  

“AI is already being used in the NHS to halve treatment times for stroke patients and to assist doctors in analysing brain scans, reducing the time between admission and treatment by more than one hour – saving valuable staff time and improving patient recovery.  “We’re building on this success to make sure lung cancer patients get the support they need, when they need it.”