The government is to spend £21m on artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly diagnose conditions such as cancers, strokes and heart problems.

UK NHS trusts have been invited to big for a slice of the cash ahead of winter when illnesses tend to spike.

The AI Diagnostic Fun was announced by Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay.

He said: “Artificial intelligence is already transforming the way we deliver healthcare and AI tools are already making a significant impact across the NHS in diagnosing conditions earlier, meaning people can be treated more quickly.

“As we celebrate the NHS’s 75th birthday and look ahead to the future, I’m focused on adopting the latest cutting-edge technology across our health and care system to ensure we can continue to deliver the best care for our patients and cut waiting times, which is one of the government’s five priorities.”

For instance, AI tools can analyse chest X-Rays – the most common tool used to diagnose lung cancer – which is the leading cause of cancer death in the UK.

With over 600,000 chest X-rays performed each month in England, the deployment of diagnostic AI tools to more NHS Trusts will support clinicians to diagnose cancer patients earlier, improving patient outcomes.

The government has already invested £123m into 86 AI technologies, which is helping patients by supporting stroke diagnosis, screening, cardiovascular monitoring as well as managing conditions at home.

The NHS spends £10bn a year and the global market is forecast to reach £150bn next year. 

Access to new technologies means patients benefit enormously, with breakthroughs enabling prevention of ill-health, earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, and faster recovery.

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