Five new clinics will open in the UK next year that will use artificial intelligence to help speed up disease diagnosis.
The medical technology centres in Leeds, Oxford, Coventry, Glasgow and London will be funded by the Government as it looks to increase its investment in AI and improve patient treatment.
The centres will use AI software to digitalise scans and biopsies, and develop products to detect diseases early.
The large investment, costing £50million, will ensure people get personalised treatment sooner, as well as freeing up doctors time.
The Government has announced £50million investment in artificial intelligence-powered medical centres to cut down diagnosis time (stock)
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark said: ‘AI has the potential to revolutionise healthcare and improve lives for the better.’
‘The innovation at these new centres will help diagnose disease earlier to give people more options when it comes to their treatment, and make reporting more efficient, freeing up time for our much-admired NHS staff to spend on direct patient care.’
The new centres, which will be based at universities and NHS facilities, are expected to open during 2019.
Health and Social Care 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 patient outcomes, make every pound go further and give clinicians more time with their patients.
‘As part of our long-term plan, we will transform the NHS into an ecosystem of enterprise and innovation that allows technology to flourish and evolve.’
Mr Hancock recently launched a vision to build ‘the most advanced health and care system in the world’, by transforming NHS technology.
Outdated and obstructive NHS IT systems will become a thing of the past, he said in The Future of Healthcare.
He said: ‘The tech revolution is coming to the NHS. These robust standards will ensure that every part of the NHS can use the best technology to improve patient safety, reduce delays and speed up appointments.’
His vision looks at AI to help diagnose disease and gain better insights into treatments and prevention, as well as using robots to support people, and their carers, in rehabilitation, dementia support or medication management’.
The advance in technology could also take over the communication of patients’ notes, booking of appointments and processing of prescriptions.
These will build on the £20billion long-term plan to transform health and social care so it can improve treatment and deliver better care for patients.