NHS to use AI technology to help free up hospital beds
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is being piloted to help free up NHS hospital beds being used by people who are fit to be sent home, officials have said.
A new platform, currently being trialled by Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, uses AI to help fill out the documents needed to discharge a patient - potentially saving hours of delays.
The tool extracts information such as diagnoses and test results from medical records, helping staff to draft discharge summaries, which must be completed before a person is sent home from the hospital.
The document is then reviewed by healthcare professionals responsible for the patient and used to send them home or refer them to other services.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the technology will allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more time on patient care, cutting waiting times in the process.
Source: Sky News, 16 August 2025