Blog - Babylon disrupted the UK’s health system. Then it left (23 August 2022)

Summary

Babylon is a US company that offers AI-powered online apps to health systems. Several UK hospital trusts have used Babylon apps to triage patients and reduce attendances at accident and emergency departments since 2018.

In this blog, Nicole Kobie, contributing editor at technology website Wired, looks at Babylon's recent cancellation of its last contract with an NHS trust. She highlights that although some welcome Babylon's exit from the NHS, the disruption caused by the apps' implementation was costly and has left some trusts with large bills. The apps also triggered complaints from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after concerns that Babylon's AI was missing signs of serious illness. The article highlights the need to carefully consider patient safety and cost-effectiveness when introducing new technologies into health systems, and take a slower approach to rolling out AI innovations.