AI in Healthcare - Fads and Fantasies

Hippo highlighted some key challenges and opportunities for innovation and technology adoption in Primary Care with a specific focus on some of the topics raised at the AI Roundtable at 10 Downing St in February 2025. These insights are written up in the hope that they are interesting to anyone working in the Primary Care infrastructure.

With the impending structural changes in the NHS, we believe that building a best-in-class technological environment should be a top priority for the new leadership and executive.

AI in Healthcare - significant potential when used well, but avoid a myopic focus on it.

AI in healthcare, such as automated clinical documentation, triage, and patient communication, are beginning to demonstrate significant potential. However, not all AI solutions create meaningful efficiency gains. At the same time, well-established technologies like core clinical systems, messaging tools, and call/recall automation continue to provide substantial, measurable impacts. Continued emphasis should be on solutions that demonstrably reduce workload and improve patient outcomes, rather than simply AI for AI’s sake.

Building an Innovative Environment - move from monolithic to modular.

Current GPTech is constrained by existing legacy, monolithic clinical systems. To foster innovation, a shift towards a modular architecture is essential, enabling a vibrant ecosystem of specialist vendors creating best-in-class outcomes for patients and the system. The NHS should focus on building foundational 'backbone' infrastructure (e.g., unified patient records) centrally, while point solutions should remain competitive and privately driven. Prescriptive frameworks stifle innovation; flexible funding is preferable, allowing providers to drive change. Interoperability is critical, yet current programmes are limited. NHSE must mandate meaningful interoperability standards to accelerate technological integration and market innovation.

Driving Change - empower early adopters, support latecomers.

Sustainable adoption of new technology is best driven directly by practices, particularly by early adopters and innovators. ICB-driven initiatives often struggle to deliver long-lasting change due to complex procurement and weak incentives. Effective change strategies should empower early cohorts to adopt beneficial technologies organically, while providing targeted support and clear incentives to practices slower to adopt innovations. Clear, outcome-based operational incentives, like QOF, are essential for driving meaningful change in the system. Aligning financial flows and incentives directly with improvements in patient outcomes and operational efficiency will motivate practices to proactively adopt innovative tools.

Regulation and Compliance - frictions are real (but manageable).

While compliance obstacles can be hurdled by dedicated innovators, unnecessary duplication, inconsistent standards, and disjointed approvals create delays and frustration. A simplified, national 'regulatory passport' could streamline processes, provided it is well-designed, adequately resourced, leverages existing standards, and ensures top-down consistency to avoid further bureaucratic layers. Excessive focus on regulatory processes risks overshadowing deeper structural inefficiencies. 🎯

Innovation isn't optional - it's essential. By simplifying regulation, adopting modular solutions, leveraging market forces, and thoughtfully integrating AI, we believe it’s possible to unlock the full potential of technology in Primary Care, reducing costs and workload, whilst transforming care delivery and patient outcomes.