Labour vows to fastrack the roll out of new AI technologies in NHS hospitals

Shadow Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said companies developing these technologies often get caught up in a “quagmire” of red tape, as they need to obtain approval from up to 11 different regulators.

He said Labour is planning to set up the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which will set priorities for those regulators.

That will ensure life-saving medical technologies are “put to the front of the queue” so they can be approved quicker but safety standards will not be compromised, Mr Kyle added.

"We will harness new technologies and innovation, putting it to work for patients faster than ever before,” he said.

He spoke during a visit to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, where staff have been using an artificial intelligence (AI) programme developed by Behold.ai to cut waiting times for patients.

Radiographers who are working through large caseloads usually take seven to 14 days to review a patient’s chest x-ray and find out whether there are any abnormalities, such as a cancerous tumour, but Behold’s algorithm can complete this process in seven seconds so patients can get their results back on the same day.

Mr Kyle said he got “a glimpse to a much more efficient and effective future” at the hospital in Huddersfield and he believes this technology could have been used to save his mother, who died after her lung cancer was missed by several scans.

“There’s no question that AI is already benefiting patients,” said Mr Kyle.

“This isn’t a technology that’s on the horizon. It’s already saving lives today, making the work of clinicians more effective and transforming the patient experience.

“Where people had to wait weeks for the results of tests, those results are now available in seconds.”

Mr Kyle said Labour is still planning to cut waiting lists by getting private healthcare providers to see more NHS patients, but care will remain free at the point of use for everyone who needs it.

“This is about working alongside the private sector and bringing it in – it’s not privatisation in any shape of form,” he said.

According to the latest figures, a record 7.75m people in England are waiting to start routine hospital treatment – the highest number since records began in 2007 – and nearly 9,000 people have been waiting more than 18 months.

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a new £100m fund will be used to “accelerate the use of AI” in research projects which aim to find cures for diseases like dementia and cancer.

He is also due to host an AI safety summit this week, when international leaders are expected to meet to discuss ground rules for preventing the technology from causing harm.