Switched on

This report explores the opportunities for automation and AI in health care and the challenges of deploying them in practice. It draws on learning from the Health Foundation's programmes and research – including a recent study by the University of Oxford on the potential of automation in primary care – as well as a range of other literature. Informed by YouGov online surveys of more than 4,000 UK adults and more than 1,000 NHS staff, the report finds that while automation and AI hold huge potential for improving care and supporting the NHS to increase its productivity, in developing and deploying them we must be careful not to squeeze out the human dimension of health care, and must support the health and care workforce to adapt to and shape technological change. Our surveys found public and NHS staff opinion divided on whether automation and AI in health care are a good or bad thing. Government and NHS leaders must therefore engage with the public and NHS workforce to raise awareness of and build confidence in technology-enabled care.