Care funding changes proposed to reward NHS organisations which invest in AI

NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has proposed that NHS organisations which invest in new technologies should be rewarded through a reworking of the health service's payment system.

He also issued a rallying cry urging tech pioneers to help the NHS lead the way in the use of AI and machine learning, calling for ideas on how to improve healthcare, cut waiting times for results and make better use of staff hours, through tech.

Speaking at the Reform Health Conference earlier this month, Stevens vowed to consider 'reimbursement reforms' to the NHS tariff and other payment systems, to encourage faster and more widespread take-up of new technologies.

“As part of the NHS Long Term Plan we are going to be using new technologies and treatments to improve patient care and save more lives,” he said.

“We are seeing an artificial intelligence revolution that will be a big part of our future over the next five years, with technologies that can cut the time patients wait for scan results and ease the burden on hard working staff.

“We want the NHS to be first out of the blocks, so from April next year we propose to change the way we fund care so that NHS organisations who invest in this world-leading technology will be properly rewarded for doing so.

“We’re therefore kicking off a global ‘call for evidence’ for NHS staff and technology innovators to come forward with their best ideas for how we should adjust our financial frameworks to best incentivise the use of safe and evidence-based AI and machine learning technologies across the NHS.”

The announcement corresponds with one of the lead goals of the NHS' Long Term Plan, which is to digitise the outpatients system. This would lead to more video and online consultations, and make AI and machine learning technologies central to scan analysis.

Should this come to fruition, it is believed up to 30 million outpatient appointments will be rendered 'unnecessary', saving the NHS an estimated £1 billion. It would also make the NHS the first national health service in the world to utilise technology for this purpose.