The Plan for Change focuses on how technology will be used to improve public services. For healthcare, in particular, the government is committed to bringing analogue NHS into the digital age. Pratik Maroo, Senior Vice President and Head – Healthcare and Life Sciences at Zensar – says the transition will be challenging, but the opportunities are immense.
The NHS is at a critical crossroads. Demand is outpacing supply, budgets are stretched, and workforce shortages continue to strain the system. In the policy paper1 published on January 30, 2025, three key priorities are outline, cut waiting times, improve access to primary care, and improve urgent and emergency care.
AI provides a clear way forward and can help in achieving these goals to position the UK as a global leader in healthcare.
But, as with any technological advance, AI’s impact in healthcare comes with its own set of challenges and considerations.
This article will explore how the UK can overcome challenges, and harness AI to address the immense pressures on the NHS, support staff and the public, modernise care delivery, and ultimately revolutionise healthcare.
Potential of AI in healthcare
In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, the integration of AI and deep learning is a key necessity to achieve seemingly conflicting goals.
Improving patient experience means easier availability and affordability of primary and emergency care but improving access to primary and emergency care means reducing the number of patients who need the access. There are key elements which can help solve this gordian knot.
- Digital twins – Building a holistic patient profile that contains the longitudinal view of patient health, basically a digital twin profile that captures the health journey from birth.
- Infusion of AI in diagnostic and clinical workflows – Making the diagnostic smarter so that physicians get better quality information about the patient’s health, and each element of health data can guide the next step.
- Health assistant – a suite of AI agent that are available 24×7 to provide an intuitive experience layer that bridges the gap between patient and providers.
Public perception
A survey of UK public attitudes to AI in healthcare revealed broad recognition of AI’s potential benefits. The public are particularly confident in AI’s ability to support radiology, including diagnostic tasks.
Among both the public and healthcare staff, there is recognition that AI could be beneficial for patient care and administrative purposes. For example, the Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust leveraged an AI clinical assistant to telephone patients and have a routine clinical conversation which transformed their cataract care pathway.
However, there are also hesitations about AI’s implementation, with the public and staff extremely sceptical about AI replacing the role of human doctors. There is a demand for human interaction, and a belief that AI should always be overseen by a human, to avoid technology making the wrong diagnosis and to ensure data is safe and secure.
Individuals overwhelmingly believe that doctors should not be replaced by AI but should instead use it to assist them and save time.
Addressing issues related to the human element of care and ensuring the accuracy of AI-assisted decision-making will be crucial for successful implementation.
Regulation will also be a hurdle to consider, UK GDPR governs all processing of personal data, including AI. However, AI challenges data protection law by requiring massive training datasets and processing them in ways traditional safeguards weren’t designed for.
This has direct implications for personal data security and data subject rights. The UK government has announced plans to introduce AI legislation in 2025 to address risks, and all deployments of AI in healthcare will need to be compliant with evolving regulation.
The next steps for the UK
AI has the potential to transform the NHS. But so far, we have not seen AI have the impact that it has promised. The big challenge is making the leap from one-off pilots to systematic use in everyday activities.
The UK is ahead of many European countries in health tech investment, but it still lags behind global AI leaders such as the US and China. Leaders need to focus on harnessing the UK’s unique, extensive national healthcare datasets to implement AI solutions at scale. The onus is on the NHS to take this challenge as an opportunity. If implemented correctly, AI will have a significant impact.
Drug development is set to become increasingly streamlined, with AI driven simulations replacing traditional trial and error approaches. AI tools facilitate regulatory compliance and accelerate drug development through early detection of adverse effects, enabling informed adjustments to formulations or dosages. This will ultimately result in more efficient research, reduced launch timelines and higher success rates.
Medicine will also become more data- driven and personalised, with AI enabling tailored treatment plans based on genetic and biometric data. This could mark the beginning of an era of predictive healthcare, shifting the focus from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
As AI tools become more sophisticated, hospitals and clinics will rely on them to optimise patient flow and reduce waiting times. Patient care will become increasingly holistic, delivering actionable insights, and driving seamless interactions for better health management and enhanced customer experiences.
A transformative opportunity
AI presents a transformative opportunity to reimagine UK healthcare, making it faster, smarter, and more personalised. But realising this vision requires more than isolated pilots or one-off innovations.
It demands coordinated action across government, healthcare providers, and industry to scale proven solutions, invest in infrastructure, and earn public and staff trust. With the right strategy, the UK can lead the global shift toward AI-driven healthcare, improving outcomes for patients and ensuring a more resilient system for generations to come.
