Meet the Leeds-based team which uses artificial intelligence to help the NHS save lives

The partnership between the London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare and Leeds-based digital consultancy Answer could help to save lives.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms will be developed to support clinicians with faster diagnosis and treatments, personalised therapies, and effective screening across a range of conditions and procedures.

Beverley Bryant, chief digital Information officer for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust & King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and senior responsible owner for the London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare, said: “This is a unique programme to implement AI at scale within the NHS. Our partnership with Answer is another key step toward deploying this open-source technology in clinical environments.

"Answer is a respected digital health agency, and we hope that our partnership and shared success will provide a springboard for widespread AI deployment across the NHS to benefit patients.”

The London Medical Imaging and AI Centre for Value-Based Healthcare has been awarded a £16 million DHSC grant by the Office for Life Sciences to support its programme of artificial intelligence research within the NHS, with the aim of providing more innovative and accessible healthcare services to the public.

The grant also facilitates the consortium’s significant expansion from four NHS Trusts to 10, and new academic and industry partnerships.

Richard Pugmire, director at Answer, said: “Answer has a history of partnership with the NHS on nationally significant innovation that advances personalised and digitally-enabled healthcare provision across the NHS.

“Alongside our exciting work with NHS England’s genomic medicine service, we are thrilled to be part of the journey that brings AI to the forefront of patient care in a new and meaningful way.

“The AI programme is hugely ambitious, and the partnership allows us to bring the best technical, clinical and academic minds together to showcase a truly robust solution, capable of changing the way healthcare is provided for many years to come.”