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A major rollout of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools across the NHS is being accelerated to help cut waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients.

A new AI triage tool in the NHS App that helps direct patients to the most appropriate NHS service, as well as widespread access to AI notetaking tools to reduce admin for NHS staff, are among the improvements being prioritised across England.

Today the NHS is setting out how £10 billion of funding over the next three years, allocated by the government last year, will be used for a major overhaul of the health service’s technology, digital and data systems.

The improvements are expected to deliver around half of the commitments in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan and generate £41 billion in total benefits over the next decade.

The NHS App’s new AI triage tool is being rolled out following a successful trial. It is due to reach more than 200,000 patients within the next 12 months and be available to all NHS App users by April 2028.

The tool makes sure patients are directed to the right care, first time – whether that’s a GP appointment, pharmacy, A&E, community service or self-care advice – by adapting questions depending on responses to get a more detailed view of a patient’s condition.

It then either directs them to the most appropriate service or provides clinicians with the information they need to prioritise care.

An initial trial at a GP practice in Sussex resulted in a 29% reduction in the number of people queuing on the phone – helping to end the 8am rush while maintaining patient satisfaction levels.

Patients will continue to have the option of using traditional methods to contact their GP practice alongside the new AI triage tool in the NHS App.

NHS England will also support a national rollout of AI tools which record conversations between patients and NHS staff to generate real-time transcriptions and clinical summaries.

The rollout will start with hospital appointments not requiring an overnight stay where their use has been proven to significantly reduce the amount of time clinicians spent on admin.

A major NHS study published last year found that AI notetaking tools, known as ambient voice technology, free up clinicians to spend nearly a quarter more of their time with patients.

The study, led by Great Ormond Street Hospital, found that scaling the technology nationally to over 11,000 A&E clinicians in England could create space for over 9,000 extra A&E consultations each day.

Tens of thousands of NHS staff across south-west London will become the latest to benefit from the tech which is being rolled out across four NHS trusts – St George’s, Epsom and St Helier, Croydon, and Kingston and Richmond.

A pilot in the emergency department at St George’s Hospital in Tooting found that it saved clinicians an average of 47 minutes per shift – allowing each member of staff to see an additional patient every shift.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust are also expanding their AI notetaking programmes to more than 3,000 clinicians following successful pilots.

Other plans that are part of the £10 billion technology, digital and data investment include NHS App users being able join online appointments with expert clinicians across England using the NHS’s new virtual hospital service – NHS Online.

Patients will also be able to use the NHS App to request follow-up appointments after treatment, and NHS-approved digital tools will help them manage exercise and rehabilitation for common lung and heart conditions – giving patients more control of their healthcare.

The NHS will also introduce a Single Patient Record to provide specialists across the NHS with a full picture of a patient’s medical history, roll out new digital tools to help staff manage urgent and planned patient care more effectively, and enhance cyber security to protect patient data and NHS systems.

More than 500,000 NHS staff are also being given access to Microsoft Copilot after a trial led to workers cutting the amount of time they spent on admin by an average of two days every month.

The AI personal assistant helps staff to draft documents and analyse data more efficiently, freeing up more time for patient care.

Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, said: “The major overhaul of tech we’re making over the next few years will transform services.

“The new AI tool in the NHS App will help get patients to the best service for their needs first time – whether that’s a GP appointment, trip to a pharmacy or advice on caring for themselves at home – so that clinicians can make sure those most in need of a GP appointment can get one sooner.

“We’re also seeing huge benefits from the introduction of AI notetaking tools, with clinicians finding they’re able to spend up to a quarter more of their time with patients, so we’re rolling out the tools as quickly as possible across the NHS.

“We’re prioritising the improvements that will make the biggest difference and supporting local leaders to adopt them to drive change in their services – helping to cut waiting lists and improve care for millions of patients so that the NHS is fit for the future.”

Health and Social Care Secretary, James Murray, said: “As the NHS marks 78 years of serving patients, this investment shows how we can build on that proud legacy by embracing the technologies that will shape its future.

“As someone who believes deeply in the power of tech to transform public services, I’ve made sure we’re backing the right innovations, which will have the biggest positive impact on patients and clinicians and give us the biggest bang for our buck.

“I’m certain the technological innovations I’ve chosen to prioritise will get patients to the right care faster, free our brilliant clinicians from mountains of paperwork, and help drive down waiting times.

“By harnessing the power of AI – using it to direct people to the right service first time and giving clinicians back more time to spend with patients – we’re making the NHS work better for patients and staff alike and helping make it fit for the future for its next 78 years.”

Dr Ragu Rajan from Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership in Sussex, which ran the initial trial of the AI triage tool in the NHS App, said: “As a rural practice serving 23,000 patients across four sites, we know how hard it can be for people to reach us.

“Integrating AI triage directly into the NHS App means our patients can tell us what they need, when they need it, and be directed to the right care first time. It hasn’t replaced our judgement – it’s given us back the time to use it.”

Dr Ahmed Mahdi, Consultant in Emergency Medicine for St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which is rolling out AI notetaking technology said: “When you’re caring for patients in a fast-paced environment, every second really does count – and this technology can make a real difference by cutting down the time we spend on documentation and allowing us to focus on what matters most.

“It means we can see more patients every shift, while reducing pressure on staff in an incredibly busy environment, and we’re really excited to be part of an NHS-first rollout that is helping us to see more sick and injured people, quicker.”

Mark Cubbon, Chief Executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The whole NHS is looking at how technology can support our workforce and help services run more effectively for patients. For an organisation of our size and scale, the opportunity is significant.

“Our trials of ambient voice technology have shown real benefits – allowing clinicians to focus on the human interaction at the heart of healthcare, rather than on notetaking and administration.

“What matters most is introducing the tools responsibly, with the right safeguards in place, and with clinicians and teams closely involved in how they are used.”

More of the London Underground now has mobile phone coverage in stations and tunnels, with new sections recently switched on. In total, around 60% of stations that are ‘underground’ now have coverage, and work is on track to bring coverage to the whole network by the end of the year.

In recent weeks, coverage has been introduced in the tunnelled sections on the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Edgware Road, plus on the Metropolitan line between Euston Square and King’s Cross St Pancras, as well as between Barbican and Moorgate.

The Circle and District lines have also gained coverage between Cannon Street and Monument, Sloane Square and Victoria, and Bayswater and Paddington.

As well as tunnelled sections, busy stations including Vauxhall, Temple, Nine Elms and Gloucester Road have all now gone live. Mobile coverage has also begun to be introduced at major stations like King’s Cross St Pancras, Victoria and Paddington, which will go live in phases due to their size and complexity, focusing initially on ticket halls and platforms.

The vast majority of the Northern, Bakerloo and Metropolitan lines will have coverage in the tunnels by the end of summer this year.

All four major mobile network operators (Three UK, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2)) are taking part in the rollout, which is delivered to TfL at no cost under a concession agreement with Boldyn Networks.

The expanding coverage will also host the new Emergency Services Network (ESN), which, when fully operational, will provide first responders with immediate access to life-saving data, images, and information in real-time during emergencies on the frontline.

As well as delivering coverage on the Tube, TfL and Boldyn are also working to introduce coverage to sections of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) that are underground, as well as the Windrush line between Highbury & Islington and New Cross.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, said: “It’s brilliant to see this continued progress on the Mayor’s promise of delivering 4G and 5G across the London Underground, with more mobile coverage for passengers across an ever-growing network of lines and stations. In an increasingly digital world, we’re committed to ensuring that all Londoners and visitors have the connections they need – even whilst on the move – as we build a better London for everyone.”

Alongside the transport rollout, the partners are installing small-cell technology on TfL assets such as lighting columns to improve mobile capacity in busy parts of the capital. Areas already benefiting include King’s Cross, Waterloo, London Bridge, Old Street, The Shard and Hyde Park Corner.

Zenith, a new AI supercomputer for science, has been launched at Cambridge University.

Hosted at the university’s Ray Dolby Centre, the machine has been built by Dell and AMD. Its precise specs have not been revealed, but when funding for Zenith was announced in January, the university said it would provide a sixfold boost to its supercomputing capability.

A series of use cases has been identified for the new machine, including aiding cancer research and diagnosis, and detailed weather forecasting to aid maritime navigation in harsh environments such as the Arctic. Funding for the £36 million ($48m) supercomputer was provided by the UK government.

Those present at a launch event for Zenith learned about two other supercomputing initiatives Cambridge is undertaking with the UK government, which also launched its AI Hardware Plan this week to coincide with London Tech Week.

One is Sunrise, a supercomputer developed in partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which is working to create fusion power and help the UK secure future energy independence.

The other is the Sovereign AI Innovation Lab (SAIL), a new Cambridge-led public-private initiative supported by AMD and Dell that will create real-world test environments, and “support a UK open-source AI software environment that enables researchers and innovators to build, validate and scale trusted AI tools on sovereign infrastructure across health, energy, environmental science, advanced engineering and the wider UK research and innovation ecosystem.”

Professor Deborah Prentice, vice chancellor of Cambridge University, said: “Zenith, alongside Sunrise and SAIL, transforms what the University of Cambridge can achieve. By bringing together world-leading researchers with national-scale AI computing power, Cambridge is now equipped to tackle some of the most complex challenges of our time, from cancer to climate to clean energy, and turn discovery into real-world impact.”

Guests at the Zenith launch included the UK government’s under-secretary for technology, James Frith, and AMD’s CEO Dr. Lisa Su.

Frith said: “The launch of Zenith marks a major step forward in the UK’s mission to harness AI for science. By bringing together world‑class compute, research, and industry expertise, we will unlock new discoveries in health, clean energy, and the environment, strengthening Britain’s position as a global leader in AI innovation.”

Cambridge is already home to Dawn, one of the UK’s fastest AI supercomputers. It is hosted at the university data center, and was built by Dell, working with Intel and AI cloud firm Fluidstack.

A pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy has been approved in the UK, meaning people can soon buy it with a prescription.

It is the first tablet of its kind to get cleared by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, external (MHRA).

Manufacturer Novo Nordisk says the once-a-day tablet could be more convenient for some people than injecting themselves weekly with GLP-1 medication that blunts appetite. And, unlike the jab, the pills do not need to be kept in the fridge.

However, it will not be available on the NHS until experts can assess and decide, external if that should be recommended.

The body that would make that decision - The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - said Novo Nordisk had not yet approached them about it, but they were "in active dialogue" with the company.

Some high street and online pharmacies plan to add it to their doctor prescribing services in the coming weeks.

The MHRA says the starting dose for the tablet is 1.5 mg once daily, escalating to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg with a minimum duration of one month at each dose level.

Patients currently treated privately with a 2.4 mg semaglutide injection once weekly can be transitioned straight to semaglutide 25 mg tablets once daily.

The tablets, which should be taken on an empty stomach, are already available in the US. Other drug companies already have or are working on rivals.

The cost of Wegovy pills in the UK is not yet known, but when they launched in the US the manufacturer listed the starting dose of 1.5 mg at $149 (around £110) a month.

Similar to its injection form, the tablets contain semaglutide that works by mimicking the actions of a natural hormone called GLP-1 that suppresses appetite and slows digestion to keep you feeling fuller and less hungry.

Olivier Picard, Chair of the National Pharmacy Association called the approval of the pill "significant", adding that it could help patients who are unable or do not wish to take the injectable version.

The pill may also bring down the cost of treatment in the longer term, he said.

"Pharmacies are awaiting further guidance about when this treatment will be available for patients", he added.

NHS hospitals are using a new way of diagnosing bladder cancer that is faster, more accurate and more convenient for patients than the existing test.

Doctors said the Galeas bladder test was a major breakthrough because it involved a urine test taken at home rather than an invasive procedure done at hospital which was uncomfortable for patients.

Growing numbers of hospitals in England and Wales are switching to the test for a cancer that kills almost 6,000 people a year in the UK. Staff have found more people are being tested because it is a painless and convenient alternative to the standard method.

Five hospitals have already adopted the test – University Hospitals of Leicester recently became the first NHS trust in England to do so – and at least 16 others will follow suit by the end of the year.

Testing for bladder cancer is traditionally done by a cystoscopy, which involves a tube and camera being inserted into the body through the penis or urethra to let doctors examine the bladder. The discomfort involved meant quite a few patients decided not to have the procedure.

However, the Galeas bladder test is non-invasive and involves only a urine sample. It is a DNA-based test that uses the 23 genes most commonly associated with bladder cancer.

An NHS trial, involving 964 patients at seven hospitals in England and Scotland in 2024-25, found that it correctly identified whether 92% of participants had bladder cancer or not. It is the 11th most common cancer in the UK.

In contrast, cystoscopy only had an 81% accuracy rate. That was because it was difficult to identify bladder cancers of differing shapes, shades and sizes with a manually-operated keyhole camera, said Jeff Bousfield, the chief executive of Nonacus, the biotech firm behind the Galeas bladder test. It hoped to improve the test’s 92% accuracy further as its NHS rollout continued, he added.

Patients are referred for bladder cancer testing when they have haematuria – blood in their urine).

“Cystoscopy is an invasive investigation to look at the inside of the bladder,” said Jayne Douglas-Moore, a consultant urological surgeon at the Leicester NHS trust. “The patient is given an anaesthetic gel but otherwise remains awake. While it only takes one to two minutes it is an intimate examination and can be embarrassing or cause discomfort. It is commonly declined.”

In contrast, the Galeas bladder test was better both for patients, who take it at home and post back their sample, and hospitals because it freed up their resources, said Douglas-Moore. The long-awaited non-invasive test was “a significant breakthrough” in diagnosing a cancer that affected more than 10,000 people a year, she added.

The “convincing” results of the trial persuaded the Leicester trust to adopt the test last month for patients in whom blood in the urine is identified using a urine dipstick.

“Of the results received so far patients have received their results in 16 days [after referral], which exceeds the NHS 28-day faster diagnosis standard [for cancer]. This is based on low numbers as we are only three weeks in but shows promise,” said Douglas-Moore.

Her trust’s early data shows that the Galeas bladder test may be 50% faster at diagnosing the disease than a cystoscopy.

The new test was developed by Prof Richard Bryan, a urologist turned academic who runs the University of Birmingham’s bladder cancer research centre, and his colleague Dr Doug Ward.

Tony Hickson, the chief business officer at Cancer Research UK, said it co-funded initial studies into the new test “because of its potential to dramatically improve how we detect bladder cancers, making the process kinder and quicker for patients”.

He added: “Studies are ongoing, but using this test could replace some of the unpleasant and invasive procedures patients currently experience when getting their symptoms checked out.

“The test could also catch cases earlier, as it can be done when someone first visits their GP, rather than having to arrange a separate hospital appointment. Innovations like this are critical for improving how we diagnose cancer cases.”

Prof Frankie Swords, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “The NHS has a long history of adopting innovations to improve patient care, and this is another great example of NHS healthcare professionals taking the initiative and trialling new technologies to help to diagnose and treat cancer earlier.”

More than 1,500 people a year with an aggressive form of stomach cancer are set to receive a new treatment available on the NHS from today, after NICE recommended durvalumab - the first immunotherapy for people with this form of cancer.

Durvalumab, also known as Imfinzi and made by AstraZeneca, is recommended for adults whose stomach (gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction) cancer has not spread extensively and can be removed through surgery.

The drug received its marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) just 17 days ago and NICE’s guidance was produced using a simpler assessment process, meaning patients will get access to the treatment faster than if the standard process had been used. 

Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer - where tumours form in the stomach or where it meets the oesophagus - is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. Even when surgery is possible, the cancer returns in many patients, and only around half of people survive five years after diagnosis.

Clinical trial evidence shows that durvalumab plus FLOT chemotherapy (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel) before and after surgery, then on its own after surgery, increases how long people have before their cancer gets worse and how long they live compared with chemotherapy alone.

In one trial, people taking durvalumab had on average just over 40 months without their cancer getting worse, compared with just over 32 months for people taking chemotherapy alone. Of the 948 people who took durvalumab as part of the trial, 68.6% lived for three years compared with 61.9% taking the standard chemotherapy treatment.

Patient and clinical experts told NICE that stomach cancer coming back after surgery is common, meaning the current long-term prognosis for patients is poor.

Durvalumab is given by intravenous infusion every four weeks. It works by blocking the PD-L1 protein, which cancer cells use to hide from the body's immune system. The drug allows the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells.

NICE applied its light-touch, streamlined process to its assessment of durvalumab, enabling a positive final draft to be made faster than under its usual process, without the need for a committee meeting.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: "Stomach cancer is a devastating disease with high rates of recurrence after surgery, so there is an urgent need for treatments like durvalumab that meaningfully extend both the length and quality of patients' lives.