Yes, Labour must invest in AI across the public sector - not least the NHS

Think tank the Social Market Foundation (SMF), sponsored by ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has published new research which explores how using AI and automation could dramatically cut waiting times and improve outcomes in the public sector – not least the NHS. One of the key areas of benefit is in GP appointments, where most could be allocated using AI – to help resolve the ‘8am rush’.

AI for the public sector: a must-have, surely?

At present, 75% of those who call for an appointment are held in a queue.

It has been driving public pessimism over the state of public services. Only 37% of people are confident that if they needed an appointment with a GP they could get one quickly.

AI tech is well-placed to make this process smoother, as out of the roughly 350 million GP patient contacts seen in the latest year, more than 320 million of these could be automatically allocated without staff intervention if results from promising trials were scaled up across the country.

The independent research looked at dozens of examples, across different types of public sector organisations, where AI was being adopted in public-facing services like DVLA, GPs, and HMRC.

Making a huge difference

The SMF then evaluated how making more widespread use of existing AI tech and automation could speed up the progress that departments are already delivering. A few examples of this include:

Across GP practices, AI could cut patient waiting times by almost three quarters (73%) overall and almost half (47%) during peak times – ending the notorious ‘8am rush’ for appointments. This has been proven in practices already trialing AI-powered triage systems.
AI is already helping reduce rates of non-attendance in some trusts and hospitals, which could save £345 million in savings every year for the NHS if scaled up.
At DWP and HMRC, two of the government’s largest user-facing departments, more comprehensive adoption of AI tools and automation could help streamline caseloads and save over 4,300 working years. These savings would free up precious time for civil servants to spend on delivery and more complex cases which require human support.
Today, almost 20% of applications to the DVLA for a driving license that require a medical review take more than 90 days to process. This paper-based decision process could be significantly shortened by investing in AI-driven technology, like Optical Character Recognition, which allows physical text to be read by computers.

A new department for all public sector AI needs

The report supports the creation of a strong Digital Centre of Government in DSIT and recommends that the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT):

Becomes a ‘one-stop shop’ for all public sector AI and automation needs, providing guidance and advising departments on the right opportunities.
Highlights and shares case studies and learnings where AI and automation have already been implemented successfully across the UK government.
Appoints departmental automation leaders to work with DSIT to proactively identify key opportunities for automation, and oversee the successful implementation of new projects.
Creates a ‘Head of Citizen Experience’ role within the Digital Centre to consider the horizontal citizen journey across multiple public sector organisations to ensure interoperability and efficiency.
Creates a ‘Data Academy’ to ensure civil servants have access to resources to equip themselves with the key skills needed to understand and harness the tech.

Labour must prioritise this

Sam Robinson, Senior Researcher, Social Market Foundation, said:

Public services in the UK are creaking under increasing demand and, for far too many people, failing to deliver. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are more opportunities than ever to streamline public services and give the public back thousands of years of their time. The technology is already here; government now needs to be bold enough to use it.

Feryal Clark MP, Minister for AI and Digital Government, said:

Technology has incredible potential to reshape public services, making things more efficient and improving the experience for everyone who uses them.

This government has a bold vision for harnessing the power of tech in the public sector. We’re already exploring how innovative tools like generative AI can make a real difference, such as reducing the workload for teachers.