Transforming healthcare through Artificial Intelligence
AI in healthcare
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare, offering breakthroughs in early diagnosis, personalised treatments and improved efficiency. From supporting timely cancer diagnosis to improving precision and accuracy of robotic surgeries, AI has the potential to revolutionise health care, resolve productivity challenges, and enhance patient and workforce experience.
Despite these advancements, sustained adoption is inconsistent and the journey to integrate AI is complex. While some areas of healthcare systems have embraced AI – predominately non-clinical back and middle office operations – others face challenges with limited resources, fragmented infrastructure, data quality concerns, and regulatory challenges. Addressing these barriers is critical to ensuring AI contributes meaningfully and helps to reduce health inequalities.
Our work
We are working to address these challenges, drawing on our experience in health innovation, system design and collaborating with our partners, to support the adoption of proven AI solutions across the NHS. Our programme emphasises a practical problem- first approach, based on robust evidence and clear guidance to ensure AI technologies meet real-world healthcare needs.
Report: AI in London healthcare: The reality behind the hype
As part of this work, in collaboration with the Health Foundation, we have published a first of its kind report to give an overview of AI adoption across NHS organisations in London. The report, AI in London healthcare: The reality behind the hype, explores how AI is being implemented, the challenges organisations face, and the steps needed to move from isolated pilots to system-wide adoption.
The findings highlight that while AI is already making an impact, adoption remains fragmented. Scaling AI effectively will require investment in digital infrastructure, workforce training, and greater collaboration across the NHS, academia, and industry. Read the full report.
Addressing healthcare inequalities
Central to our work is the commitment to tackling healthcare inequalities. By harnessing the potential of AI, we aim to ensure innovations serve diverse populations equitably and are adapted to meet the needs of all communities. AI holds the potential to identify patients at high risk of requiring unplanned emergency care, enabling the provision of personalised and preventative support.
In collaboration with NHS North East London and Health Navigator (HN), we have launched a new initiative using AI and personalised clinical coaching to identify patients at high risk of requiring unplanned emergency care, enabling the provision of personalised and preventative support.
More broadly, we are working to develop strategies for the adoption of AI technologies across the NHS in London. By learning from successful initiatives and identifying best practices, we aim to create a blueprint for a wider, sustained adoption.
Our animation: Understanding AI in healthcare
To help navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, we’ve created a short animation designed to cut through the noise and focus on practical approaches to AI in healthcare. Highlighting real-world examples—from early disease detection to robotic surgery—the animation addresses common implementation concerns. It aims to inspire a thoughtful and strategic AI adoption to improve patient outcomes.
We are also in the process of developing a follow-up animation that will delve into how AI’s potential extends beyond addressing immediate improvement opportunities and efficiency gains. This video will explore AI’s transformative role in shaping future health systems to be more participatory, proactive, and preventative, laying the groundwork for a more resilient and patient-centred healthcare ecosystem.
Find out more
To find out more about this work, please contact Ilias Zapantis, Director, by emailing ilias.zapantis@uclpartners.com.