PM to bring AI into the NHS for early diagnoses

“Late diagnosis of otherwise treatable illnesses is one of the biggest causes of avoidable deaths,” the PM is expected to say, “and the development of smart technologies to analyse great quantities of data quickly and with a higher degree of accuracy than is possible by human beings opens up a whole new field of medical research.”

“Achieving this mission will not only save thousands of lives,” Mrs May is expected to say, “it will incubate a whole new industry around AI-in-healthcare, creating high-skilled science jobs across the country, drawing on existing centres of excellence in places like Edinburgh, Oxford and Leeds – and helping to grow new ones.”

While the data is available, algorithms to trawl through it, analyse it and make diagnoses are not. AI systems which can cross-reference medical records, information about patients’ life-style, genetics and national data will be implemented under the PM’s programme.

By analysing people’s DNA, habits and medical history, it is envisaged that algorithms will be able to diagnose serious illnesses before people  have any symptoms.

The PM is to say that her goal is to give everyone five more years of  healthy, independent and active life by 2035.