This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
NHS trial app to alleviate pressure on 111 helpline
The NHS is to trial the use of an artificial intelligence app in London as an alternative to the much criticised 111 helpline.
Beginning trials in North London at the end of January, the app allows users to type their health worries into a text message-style interface, which triggers the app to respond with a series of further questions to get more information about the issue. The app then advises the user on the how to proceed depending on the urgency of their concern.
Created by British tech company Babylon Health, the app seeks to ease the pressures facing the 111 service, which has been accused of providing bad advice and criticised for its delays. Mistakes from 111 staff have been linked to deaths and a rise in A&E referrals.
The app is not only cheaper and quicker, but also has an effective database of medical advice, which the non-medical professionals answering the 111 calls are not always able to provide.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Keith McNeil, the NHS's chief clinical information officer, said: “111 at the moment relies on an employee taking people through a pathway of questioning. They are not clinical professionals necessarily.”
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