NHS App of the future will include an 'AI doctor'
The changes were the second key policy announcement (alongside a commitment to reform GP funding) made in the same speech yesterday by the Health and Social Care Secretary.
Wes Streeting said:
"Under the current system, wealthier patients often have more information about the country’s hospitals, and access to better care. The improved NHS App will democratise care, so everyone, including those from working class communities, has the information they need about their conditions or procedures they’re due to go through."
He believed the changes would amount to a "revolution in patient power", giving people "choice and control and make managing our healthcare as convenient as doing our shopping or banking online".
The NHS App upgrades will feature in the 10 Year Health Plan - due out next week - and will involve two key features:
The first is an AI tool called My Companion - which some media have already described as an 'AI doctor' - to provide patients with information about their health condition or their procedure, including answers to questions they forget or felt "too embarrassed" to ask during appointments. Wes Streeting said patients could also refer it to during consultations to give them confidence to questions things that didn't sound right, ensuring there were always "two experts in every consulting room – the clinician and the patient".
The second feature on the App will be called My Choices, which will show patients where to find their nearest service, such as a pharmacy or the best hospital for any operations they need, to help them exercise their right to choose a preferred elective provider. The Health and Social Care Secretary said:
"If NHS providers know that their waiting times, health outcomes of their patients, and patient satisfaction ratings will all be publicly available, they will be inspired to respond to patient choice, raise their game, and deliver services that patients value,"
The latter tool sounds like a combination of current features such as the 'Find My...' search tool on the NHS wesbite and the list of elective care options made available to some people already via the NHS App when they are referred by their GP.
Our national partners Healthwatch England have long called for the NHS App to be fully harnessed as a management and information tool for patients, while at the same time calling for equitable access to the NHS for people who don't use digital technology, and support to upskill people who lack confidence with technology, to use the App.
