How an AI tool is improving NHS wait times

The NHS's largest roll out of artificial intelligence voice transcription software, is drastically improving waiting times, doctors have said.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is one of 15 NHS Trusts in the West Midlands to have jointly procured a transcription tool called Heidi, which is being put to use in urgent care, outpatients and GP surgeries.

The mobile phone tool listens to conversations between doctors and patients using AI to generate written medical notes and letters, enabling medical staff to spend less time typing and more time on patient care.

Dr Mohammed Jamil Aslam, said the software, which operates in 110 languages, is saving him six minutes per consultation.

Aslam, an emergency consultant at Walsall Manor Hospital, told the BBC using AI to transcribe conversations with patients saves him time typing medical notes and letters, helping more patients to be diagnosed and treated.

"[Patients] feel listened to. They feel the clinician is present. Rather than typing about their care, they're delivering it. [Doctors] are actively listening and [patients] feel heard."

At one clinic in Dudley Heidi is credited with reducing a backlog of posting patient letters from six months to 14 days.

Ravinder Sahota, group chief information officer at The Dudley Group and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, said the tool is breaking down communication barriers.

She said: "This is really key for us because a lot our patients who come, English is not their first language.

"We get feedback that some of the letters we send out is too complex for them to understand as got a lot of medical terminology and we're really excited about the fact we'll be able to break down the barriers to communication with this software."

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