Health leaders call for government to free up private sector capital investment as public back NHS App

Commenting on new polling from the Health Foundation which shows that while the public backs new NHS App functions, many remain cautious around the use of artificial intelligence (AI), Matthew Taylor, interim chief executive of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said:

“It is welcome to see such strong public backing for the NHS App with three-quarters of people happy to use the new functions including booking appointments and choosing a preferred hospital. However, while there is clear support for expanding the NHS App for core tasks, there is public apprehension when it comes to seeking AI-generated advice and concerns over safety more generally.

“When rolled out effectively, AI and digital tools have shown great potential to improve NHS productivity, solve organisation-specific problems and give people control and access to the information they need.

“But if we are to fully unlock the benefits of technology, AI advances must run alongside the government further freeing up private sector capital investment into the NHS including to help fund core NHS digital and IT infrastructure to build trust through strong data governance and cyber security – especially given the hesitation around AI.”