A hospital in London wants to replace doctors with AI to cut A&E waiting times

The Royal College Hospital London (UCLH) plans to use artificial intelligence to support clinical decision-making, replacing doctors and nurses in certain situations. The hospital will work alongside The Alan Turing Institute, a government-funded data science research hub, to look at ways to make NHS services quicker, safer and more efficient, announcing a three-year partnership. One area they will focus on is A&E, which is seen as a barometer of how the rest of the hospital and the wider system is working. It is hoped the technology can help the hospital achieve the national average waiting times of four hours, which it is currently not meeting. "Imagine a scenario where patients present to A&E with abdominal pain. Our standard response is to check bloods, order X-rays or scans and in probably about 80% of cases, discharge for home management," said Professor Marcel Levi, UCLH chief executive.