Former NHS surgeon creates AI ‘virtual patient’ for remote training

A former NHS surgeon has created an AI-powered “virtual patient” which helps to keep skills sharp during a time when most in-person training is on hold.

Dr Alex Young is a trained orthopaedic and trauma surgeon who founded Virti and set out to use emerging technologies to provide immersive training for both new healthcare professionals and experienced ones looking to hone their skills.

COVID-19 has put most in-person training on hold to minimise transmission risks....

11 December 2020 | Healthcare

Hospitals embracing AI will receive extra cash to incentivise adoption

The chief executive of the NHS in the UK has said hospitals will receive extra cash for replacing clinicians and embracing new technologies such as AI.

Simon Stevens says the plans are part of an initiative to improve patient outcomes and deliver savings. Stevens admits some jobs are at risk, as roles such as radiographers are replaced to achieve productivity targets set in return for the NHS' £20 billion funding boost it was given last year.

“We are seeing an...

6 June 2019 | Healthcare

Babylon Health’s GP at Hand causes £21.6m funding gap

Babylon Health's AI-powered healthcare service GP at Hand has caused a funding gap in excess of £21 million just as further cuts are being made.

Health secretary Matt Hancock has championed GP at Hand since 2017. The digital service has come into question for providing unsafe recommendations, and for taking money away from surgeries already struggling with cuts.

The service has operated through the Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) across London....

24 May 2019 | Healthcare

Nvidia explains how ‘true adoption’ of AI is making an impact

Nvidia Senior Director of Enterprise David Hogan spoke at this year’s AI Expo about how the company is seeing artificial intelligence adoption making an impact.

In the keynote session, titled ‘What is the true adoption of AI’, Hogan provided real-world examples of how the technology is being used and enabled by Nvidia’s GPUs. But first, he highlighted the momentum we’re seeing in AI.

“Many governments have announced investments in AI and how they're going...

26 April 2019 | Applications

NHS report suggests AI will give docs more patient time

A report from the NHS suggests the impending technological ‘revolution’ in healthcare will increase the amount of time doctors can spend with patients.

NHS doctors are overburdened; a problem only getting worse from a growing and ageing population, and not enough funding.

The report was led by US academic Eric Topol and calls for a reskilling of NHS staff to harness new digital skills. AI and robotics can reduce the burden on healthcare professionals, but only if...

11 February 2019 | Healthcare

Talent has begun leaking from DeepMind in recent months

If DeepMind is on your CV, you could walk into most tech companies and be offered a job on the spot with a six-figure salary. The firm is full of in-demand talent and its CEO once bragged that no employees had ever left.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2016, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said:

“We are able to literally get the best scientists from each country each year. So we’ll have, say, the person that won the Physics Olympiad in Poland, the person who got the top...

8 January 2019 | Deep Learning

AI will play ‘crucial role’ in the NHS as five centres announced

The UK government has announced the opening of five centres designed to capitalise on AI’s potential benefits in healthcare. Patients will benefit from the use of AI to diagnose problems earlier, greatly increasing the chances of successful treatment. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in the future of the NHS – and we need to embrace it by introducing systems which can speed up diagnoses, improve...

7 November 2018 | Government

Theresa May: AI is a ‘new weapon’ against cancer

Prime Minister Theresa May will use a speech today in Cheshire to highlight the potential of AI to diagnose cancer earlier. Cancer has a higher successful treatment rate the earlier it’s diagnosed. The later the diagnosis, the greater the risk of death or long-term debilitating effects. In her speech, Mrs May will say:

"Late diagnosis of otherwise treatable illnesses is one of the biggest causes of avoidable deaths.

The...

21 May 2018 | Healthcare

Report: AI can help to keep the NHS alive

A report from think tank Reform has illustrated how artificial intelligence can help to keep the NHS alive in the face of tough conditions. The UK’s health service continues to be underfunded despite an increasing number of warnings from doctors and staff. Patients lined up in corridors are now a sight often seen in hospitals up and down the country. Reform highlights 16 areas where AI can be used to improve efficiency in the NHS. Without adequate funding in sight, the recommendations...

15 January 2018 | Healthcare

GP at Hand: AI enables the world’s first 24/7 free healthcare service

AI is a key enabler in the launch of GP at Hand, a free NHS service from babylon health which provides 24/7 access to healthcare from a mobile app. GP at Hand aims to reduce the burden on GPs while also cutting the waiting time it takes for a patient to see a doctor from the current average of two weeks, to just a matter of minutes. Dr Howard Freeman MBE, senior GP said: “GP at Hand is a window into what the NHS of the future will look like. When innovative NHS GPs embrace babylon...

6 November 2017 | Healthcare