Dementia patients ‘to be cared for by robots’
ROBOTS are set to carry out dementia care within 20 years, NHS officials have announced.
They are planning a major expansion of artificial intelligence across the health service for routine operations and treatment.
The technology will also be used to ‘ nudge’ patients towards having healthier lifestyles, particularly if they have diabetes or heart conditions.
Today, Jeremy Hunt will announce a £215 million investment towards what has been termed the ‘next generation of innovative treatments.’
The Health Secretary wants academics and technology firms to come up with new ideas to improve surgery, treatment and long-term care.
His announcement coincides with a review commissioned by the Department of Health which calls for a revolution in artificial intelligence and technology. It predicts that virtual consultations will soon be routinely used in GP surgeries and A&E and ‘may eventually supersede’ face-toface appointments.
The review said: ‘ We know that genomics, digital medicine, artificial intelligence and robotics will have an enormous impact on patients and the workforce over the next two decades.’
At the same time, the use of robotics will be expanded in areas such as ‘minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery’ – which involves fewer surgical incisions – and radiotherapy treatment for cancer.
Mr Hunt said: ‘ As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday, more people than ever before are living longer lives thanks to the dedication of hardworking staff.
‘It is therefore vital we harness technology to develop the next generation of innovative treatments as part of the Government’s long-term plan for the NHS.
‘That’s why I want our worldleading academics, researchers and technology experts to work with frontline staff to develop the innovations which not only allow people to live longer, but also to lead healthier lives, so the NHS can continue to provide world-class care to all.’
Dr Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine and cardiologist who was commissioned by Mr Hunt to lead a review into technology, said: ‘We desperately need innovation in healthcare. Artificial intelligence is already in every aspect of our lives – from navigation to voice recognition – and will now be applied to healthcare, the next frontier.’
The review also recommends that the NHS uses artificial intelligence to help patients take charge of their own health, especially if they have long-term conditions.
It suggests ‘virtual health coaches’ on smartphones could be used to remind patients to take their medication or exercise.
Meanwhile, ‘ assisted- living’ robots – who can perform basic daily activities – could help look after stroke or dementia patients in their own homes.
The chairman of the Royal College of GPs says nearly every surgery in England is short of a doctor, calling it a ‘crisis’ for the Health Service.
Many doctors were so overwhelmed they felt they were ‘not providing a safe enough service’, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said.
She said there were promises of good things to come – including more GPs and extra funding for general practice – but it was still ‘very hard on the frontline’. Work stress was leading some GPs to leave in the middle of their careers because ‘the system that has trained them has then broken them’, she added.
‘Desperately need innovation’