90% of NHS Staff Use AI in Healthcare, Survey Finds, as Administrative Burdens Drive Adoption

'Patients are ready for this': New study reveals 90% of NHS staff use AI at work -- and most patients are happy with it

* Report claims 90% of NHS staff are using AI to assist with their work * Heidi survey points to high AI use across healthcare * AI looks to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals NHS staff are increasingly using AI tools to improve workflows and handle admin tasks, and claim that patients are positive about the development, new research has claimed. A survey of 1,000 healthcare professionals working in the NHS by Heidi found 90% of respondents revealing they are using AI in clinical work, with healthcare professionals driving the change, with nearly two-thirds (65%) adopting AI to assist in their workflow. Rising administrative burdens in recent years may have contributed to the use of AI to assist in tasks, although it seems some AI use is happening regardless of official policies. AI helps with the admin Of those surveyed, 94% have increased their AI use at work in the past year, or kept it the same. Among hospital doctors, pharmacists, and mental health professionals, however, the figure is 96%. The results of the survey clearly demonstrate a wide take-up of AI tools, no doubt driven by an increase of administrative tasks (experienced by 80% of respondents) which includes increased demand for documentation, particularly among nurses (61%), pharmacists (63%) any by GPs dealing with referrals and letters (52%). While it is being used for drafting referrals and notes, AI is also being used to manage patient follow-ups (66%), and there is a belief that the technology is prolonging careers, by making the workload more manageable. Dr Hannah Allen, Chief Medical Officer and GP at Heidi, said: "These findings reflect what we hear every day from patients and clinicians. Patients are ready for this, and healthcare professionals have already made AI part of how they manage a workload that has grown well beyond what most would call sustainable." Policies and oversight Use of computers and patient data within the NHS has been closely monitored for years, and in recent years the challenges of AI have been highlighted, with various trusts implementing policies to handle generative AI use. Among these are the NHS AI Lab Code of Conduct, NHS England's Blueprint for AI in Health and Social Care, and the Information Governance (IG) Frameworks for handling patient data and other sensitive information. So, the 35% expressing concern over patient privacy should be able to consult their local policies and procedures to ensure that their work doesn't infringe what has been put in place by the organization. The march of AI across healthcare seems to be almost complete, and regardless of which tools are used, those governance policies should ensure admin is managed, data is kept private, and patient care continues to be the central focus. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Research says 90% of NHS staff use AI in clinical work

A Heidi survey of 1,000 NHS healthcare professionals found 90% are using AI in clinical work to manage workflow and administrative tasks. The survey found 94% of respondents had either increased their AI use at work in the past year or kept it at the same level. Among hospital doctors, pharmacists and mental health professionals, AI use reached 96%, according to the survey. Heidi said nearly two-thirds of healthcare professionals, 65%, had adopted AI to assist their workflow. The survey linked the uptake to rising administrative burdens, with 80% of respondents reporting an increase in admin tasks. Documentation demands were cited by 61% of nurses and 63% of pharmacists, while 52% of GPs reported added work tied to referrals and letters. AI is being used to draft referrals and notes, and 66% of respondents said it is also being used to manage patient follow-ups. The findings also indicated some healthcare professionals believe AI is helping prolong careers by making workloads more manageable. "These findings reflect what we hear every day from patients and clinicians. Patients are ready for this, and healthcare professionals have already made AI part of how they manage a workload that has grown well beyond what most would call sustainable," said Dr. Hannah Allen, chief medical officer and GP at Heidi. The report said use of computers and patient data within the NHS has long been subject to oversight, and trusts have introduced policies for generative AI use. Those policies include the NHS AI Lab Code of Conduct, NHS England's Blueprint for AI in Health and Social Care, and information governance frameworks covering patient data and other sensitive information. The survey found 35% of respondents were concerned about patient privacy.