00:00A new artificial intelligence system is being rolled out through the NHS app, which allows
00:06patients to book GP appointments after being clinically triaged online. Instead of phoning
00:11their surgery or waiting for a call back, patients can enter their symptoms into the
00:16app where the technology assesses how urgent the problem might be. It can then offer an
00:21appropriate appointment straight away, matching patients with the right type of care and the
00:25right timeframe. Developers say the aim is to make accessing GP services quicker, easier
00:31and less stressful for patients. What it's trying to do is ask the minimum number of questions
00:36to get an appointment. It's not trying to make a diagnosis, it's not trying to work out what's
00:41going on. It's trying to work out how urgently that appointment is needed and who you need to be seen
00:46by. For many patients, getting a GP appointment can mean waiting weeks or repeatedly calling their
00:52surgery first thing in the morning. The new system aims to ease that pressure by triaging requests
00:58digitally and matching people with the right type of appointment.
01:02So the most important thing is that the system is switched on 24-7, so there's no need to wait
01:07until the practice is open. So if you want to book an appointment at 4pm, at 2 o'clock in
01:12the morning,
01:13whatever time you want to do it, you can go into the NHS app and book. The really interesting thing
01:19that we're able to do with this technology is not just gather the information and then leave it for
01:24one of the triage team in the practice to look at at 8 o'clock the next morning and then
01:28call you back.
01:29Actually, it's able to then offer you that appointment straight away.
01:32Early data from one large London GP practice suggests the change could dramatically reduce
01:37waiting times. Routine appointments there have dropped from around 21 days to just three.
01:44We are the largest surgery that's using it at the moment. We've been using this for about a year
01:49now and integrated with the NHS app over the last month or so. One of the big frustrations that I
01:55know from patients, particularly once you introduce a triage system, is that you have to be available
02:01when the surgery says you need to be. What this does is turn that on its head and say, okay,
02:07you've filled in the form. These are the appointments you can now pick from, and it gives you the most
02:11appropriate appointments. So you can pick the one that works for you.
02:14Some patients may feel uneasy about AI playing a role in decisions about health.
02:20Supporters say the system follows clinically designed triage pathways to assess symptoms
02:24before offering an appointment. But others question whether technology can always capture
02:29the full picture of someone's health.
02:31The most important thing with the system we've got is it's never going to turn someone away. We hear that
02:35word triage and it feels a little bit like it's a wall, doesn't it? What we've done is
02:41introduced a triage system that helps you to get an appointment. It never says to you, no, you can't
02:46have an appointment.
02:47The tech may also help reduce missed appointments. Trials suggest did-not-attend rates have fallen
02:53sharply, while both patient and clinician satisfaction scores have improved.
02:57I think it's absolutely the way forward. I think being able to book an appointment
03:01any time you want, any time of the day or night, to be offered the most appropriate appointment
03:07and to be able to do that really easily from an app that you're used to using. It's nice and
03:12straightforward. It's very easy. It's where all of your healthcare information sits. I think it has
03:17to be the way forward. Absolutely. That's not to say that that's the only way to book an appointment
03:21though, because not everyone wants to use an app. Not everyone wants to use an electronic way of
03:27doing it. For those people who don't or can't want to do that, those phone lines are lovely and easy.
03:32And we've got a few seconds wait time on our phone now, which is a real revolution and really,
03:37really helpful for those people who want to call up or want to come into the practice.
03:41They can do so so much easier than before.
03:44The NHS already plans for most appointments to be bookable through the NHS app by the end of the
03:49decade. Supporters say systems like this could help reach that goal earlier by freeing up staff
03:54time and making better use of available appointments. But as artificial intelligence becomes more involved
03:59in healthcare decisions, questions remain about trust, access and whether patients are comfortable
04:04with tech playing a bigger role. For now, it's hoped tools like this could help ease pressure on GP
04:10services and make it easier for patients to get the help they need.
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