Leeds-based digital and IT consultancy Answer aims to create 100 jobs as it paves way for AI-enabled hospitals

Leeds-based Answer has seen rapid growth through the pandemic as companies and organisations accelerated their digital transformation plans.

The company is working in partnership with the London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare to pave the way for AI-enabled hospitals.

The project will see new Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms built and used to support clinicians with faster diagnosis and treatments, personalised therapies, and effective screening across a range of conditions and procedures.

Answer is also supporting the development and delivery of the NHS Integrating Care Programme, working with NHS Digital.

A spokesman said; "The NHS Integrating Care Programme is working to join up IT systems across health and social care by making systems work with each other. It enables improved care decisions because authorised health and social care professionals will have immediate, secure access to accurate health and care information."

"Answer is leading digital transformation in the financial services sector. It is supporting RPMI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Railways Pension Trustee Company Limited (RPTCL), providing new digital services to more than 500,000 customers."

Commenting on the growth, Gary Parlett, founder and managing director of Answer, said: “Since our move to employee-ownership, Answer has gone from strength to strength.

"We have put our people at the centre of everything we do, and it means that we have great people doing work they are passionate about. It’s driving rapid growth across the health, financial services and wider commercial sectors.

“We are continuing to invest in training our team and building a culture that attracts the best talent in the country. The additional 100 roles we are creating are just the start of our plans for the business.”

The company is expanding its academy, which over the last six years has helped young people to gain digital skills in software development, integration, test automation and project management.

Over half of the staff at Answer Digital are alumni of its academy.