A report by IBM Healthcare, outlines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can immediately boost NHS productivity, focusing primarily on administrative and operational areas rather than complex clinical applications due to lower regulatory hurdles. It argues that implementing AI assistants in patient and corporate services, such as for waiting list validation and clinical coding, offers the most rapid and quantifiable efficiency gains, referencing successful pilots across multiple NHS Trusts. The document emphasises that for AI adoption to scale successfully, a national framework is needed, along with staff involvement, education, and a commitment to ethical, transparent, and data-driven deployment. The report concludes that while clinical AI innovation continues, focusing on automating repetitive tasks in the back office offers the quickest path to improving NHS efficiency and staff experience.

AI for NHS Productivity: A Briefing on Operational Transformation