NHS 111 inquiries to be handled by AI, leaked report suggests
Automated online service could ease pressure on health workers

Artificial intelligence (AI) robots could be dealing with a third of all patient inquiries to the NHS 111 service within a couple of years, according to a leaked report.
The report authors say “new solutions” are needed to handle the helpline’s growing number of users, which is putting “pressure” on the NHS, says The Daily Telegraph.
NHS smartphone apps could become “the primary method of accessing health services”, according to the evaluation, with almost 16 million non-urgent medical inquiries dealt with online by algorithms, rather than by phone operators, by 2020.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The new service would allow patients to check symptoms online and read tailored advice generated by AI systems, with the option of referring their case for a call from an out-of-hours GP, says Alphr.
An NHS spokesperson told the tech site that a 111 online service would be a “win-win”, helping more users access medical information and freeing up time “for staff to spend with those patients who do prefer a direct conversation”.
However, The Daily Telegraph says patient groups are concerned “about the safety of such models”, and about potential access issues.
Joyce Robins, a co-director of human rights campaign group Patient Concern, told the newspaper: “I think these plans make very unfortunate assumptions that everyone has access to computers and smartphones, when in fact many elderly people do not.”
“I would be very fearful of the kind of mistakes that could be made, when you are relying on people who are poorly and often confused to work their way through computer questionnaires,” Robins added.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The god in the machine
Feature An AI model with superhuman intelligence could soon become reality. Should we be worried?
-
AI chatbots are leading some to psychosis
The explainer The technology may be fueling delusions
-
Unreal: A quantum leap in AI video
Feature Google's new Veo 3 is making it harder to distinguish between real videos and AI-generated ones
-
Will 2027 be the year of the AI apocalypse?
A 'scary and vivid' new forecast predicts that artificial superintelligence is on the horizon A 'scary and vivid' new forecast predicts that artificial superintelligence is on the horizon
-
College grads are seeking their first jobs. Is AI in the way?
In The Spotlight Unemployment is rising for young professionals
-
Disney, Universal sue AI firm over 'plagiarism'
Speed Read The studios say that Midjourney copied characters from their most famous franchises
-
Learning loss: AI cheating upends education
Feature Teachers are questioning the future of education as students turn to AI for help with their assignments
-
AI: Will it soon take your job?
Feature AI developers warn that artificial intelligence could eliminate half of all entry-level jobs within five years