We’ll soon be benefiting from the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools to analyse x-rays and CT scans, helping us to speed up the diagnosis and treatment for our lung cancer patients.

This is another example of our closer collaboration with our partners Barts Health and Homerton Healthcare, after we put together a joint bid for government funding, receiving just under £1m for the three trusts over the next two years.

Devesh Sinha, our Chief Clinical Information Officer, said: “This is an example of using AI to help patients and clinicians. It will free up clinician time, helping us to cut waiting lists, getting patients the treatment they need quicker, and reduce waste.

“I’m delighted we were successful in this bid, and this continues to build on our collaborative work with our partners for the benefit of our patients.”

Our AI and Clinical Informatics Lead, Basab Bhattacharya, worked across a network of all three trusts and the north east London Integrated Care Board to secure the funding.

We’re one of 64 NHS trusts across the country to benefit from a share of £21m for this innovation.

This follows on from our introduction of AI in stroke to analyse patient brain scans. We were among the first trusts, alongside Barts Health, to introduce this in 2021. It reduced the time patients wait for treatment on arriving at our Trust by an hour and is now standard care for all stroke patients across both organisations. We are also using or trialling AI in five other areas of our work.