AI 'co-pilot' used to speed up cancer diagnosis

A new artificial intelligence software has been introduced by a hospital trust in West Yorkshire to speed up the diagnosis of serious health conditions such as lung cancer and infections. This AI technology is designed to assist doctors by analyzing chest X-rays quickly and accurately, helping to identify up to 85 different medical issues within minutes. The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust hopes that this innovation will allow patients to receive treatment faster and improve overall patient safety. Dr Fahmid Chowdhury, the clinical lead for the project, explained that the AI acts as a 'co-pilot' for doctors, flagging abnormal X-rays so they can be reviewed and reported more quickly. This means that patients with urgent health problems can be identified sooner, potentially saving lives.

The hospital performs around 135,000 chest X-rays every year, so the introduction of this AI tool is expected to have a significant impact. The project is part of the Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative, a network of hospitals working together to improve medical imaging services across the region. It is supported by the NHS AI Diagnostic Fund, which has invested £21 million in 11 imaging networks nationwide. Since the pilot scheme began last month in Leeds, Dr Chowdhury has already seen examples where the AI detected abnormalities that might have been missed on the first review. However, he emphasized that the AI is not meant to replace doctors but to support them. The final decisions about patient care will always be made by trained healthcare professionals.

Dr Chowdhury compared the AI to a co-pilot in an airplane, assisting the pilot but not taking control. This partnership between AI and doctors aims to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnoses, especially in busy hospital settings where staff are under pressure. The AI provides an extra set of eyes, helping to catch serious conditions quickly and giving both patients and clinicians confidence in the results. This technology represents a step forward in how hospitals use digital tools to enhance patient care and safety. The trust hopes to continue developing and expanding the use of AI in medical imaging to benefit more patients in the future.