Cancer diagnosis will be sped up by using artificial intelligence to help doctors check scans.
New technology will be rolled out to every NHS radiotherapy department in England within weeks. AI will be used to automatically review CT and MRI scans, helping doctors quickly spot cancerous cells.
According to the Government, it makes the process two-and-a-half times quicker. Around 15.5million of funding will be invested in getting the technology installed in hospitals across the country.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “This is an exciting breakthrough in our work to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment, and AI is helping to make our healthcare system faster, simpler and fairer.”
Dr Imogen Locke, national speciality adviser for radiotherapy at NHS England said: “The NHS is embracing AI and its benefits for cancer patients and every radiotherapy department will soon be able to offer the latest technology to help diagnose and treat patients more quickly.
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“We are seeing a record number of referrals for suspected cancer, and game-changing tools like AI will help the NHS continue the significant progress made in tackling the longest waits for patients.”
At the beginning of last year, Rishi Sunak pledged to cut NHS waiting lists in England, but they have actually risen. Cancer waiting times were the worst on record last year with a third of patients not starting treatment within 62 days of cancer being suspected.
Labour confirmed last week that it planned to deliver an extra 40,000 appointments a week by offering staff overtime so hospitals can run evening and weekend surgeries.
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