Can AI be used to Speed Up NHS Hospital Discharges?

An artificial intelligence tool designed to cut patient discharge delays is being trialled at Chelsea and Westminster NHS trust.

The platform drafts discharge summaries by extracting information from medical records, including test results and diagnoses. Doctors then review the documents before deciding whether a patient can be sent home or referred for follow-up care.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the current manual system often leaves patients waiting for hours because doctors are too busy to complete paperwork.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said: “This potentially transformational discharge tool is a prime example of how we’re shifting from analogue to digital as part of our 10-year health plan.

“We’re using cutting-edge technology to build an NHS fit for the future and tackle the hospital backlogs that have left too many people waiting too long.

“Doctors will spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients, getting people home to their families faster and freeing up beds for those who need them most.”

The tool will be hosted on the NHS Federated Data Platform, which is designed to help health and care organisations share data and improve services.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously said AI will be used to “turn around” the economy and public services.

AI is already being used across the NHS.

A physiotherapy app, Flok Health, halved the waiting list for back pain treatment in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Over 2,500 patients accessed the service during a 12-week trial earlier in 2025.

The NHS is also testing a system that analyses hospital databases to spot safety concerns early, as well as an AI tool that predicts a patient’s risk of disease and premature death.

Technology is being deployed beyond healthcare, too.

A new system shown to halve the time probation officers spend organising notes will be rolled out later in 2025. It transcribes and structures information from meetings with offenders after release from prison.

Technology secretary Peter Kyle said during a visit to Chelsea and Westminster hospital:

“This is exactly the kind of change we need, AI being used to give doctors, probation officers and other key workers more time to focus on delivering better outcomes and speeding up vital services.

“This government inherited a public sector decimated by years of underinvestment and is crying out for reform.”

“These AI exemplars show the best ways in which we’re using tech to build a smarter, more efficient state.

“When we get this right across government, we’re talking about unlocking £45 billion in productivity gains, delivering our plan for change and investing in growth, not bureaucracy.”