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AI in healthcare: Turning innovation into safer care
AI is accelerating at a pace that would have been difficult to imagine even a few years ago. It's incredible to see the opportunities opening up, and AI in healthcare patient safety is one of the most important areas of progress, from reducing administrative pressure to helping teams make better use of information and spend more time with patients. On World Patient Safety Day, I want to reflect on how we turn that potential into better, safer care.I’m excited about what this means for the NHS. Digital transformation has been central to my work since 2010, and the possibilities now feel greater than ever. Through the work we do at SCFH, alongside clinical, operational and digital teams, we see the expertise and commitment that turn those possibilities into improvements in care.With so much momentum, it's worth asking: are we giving the people, processes and understanding around the technology the same attention as the technology itself? The enthusiasm to move forward is positive. Making sure the foundations keep pace is how we translate it into lasting benefit.Why human judgement still mattersTools such as ChatGPT and Claude offer a familiar example. They can help me develop ideas, challenge my thinking and improve a draft. But if I used one to help write this blog, I would still want to check that it reflected what I meant, retained the nuances and supported the claims being made. Something can read beautifully and still miss the point.Writing a blog and documenting a clinical consultation carry very different responsibilities and consequences. But the distinction between a convincing output and an accurate representation is relevant to both. In healthcare, meaning, context and detail matter deeply.Ambient voice: turning promise into practiceAmbient voice technology is an exciting example of what AI can offer. Helping capture and structure consultations has the potential to reduce documentation demands and give clinicians more space to focus on patients. Realising that promise means making the whole process work well, including how draft information is reviewed, corrected and incorporated into the clinical record.Clinical review draws on professional expertise and an understanding of the patient and the consultation. Tools need to support that work, with outputs that are easy to navigate and correct. The time and attention involved also need to be reflected in expectations about productivity and benefits.The MHRA’s guidance, published on 29 July 2026, provides further clarity on when ambient voice technology products qualify as medical devices in Great Britain. It also emphasises that manufacturers should address risks through design and protective measures before relying on warnings. That focus on design is essential to making safe use practical in everyday care.AI in healthcare patient safety: a shared responsibilityThis is where the wider transformation becomes so important. Strengthening AI in healthcare patient safety requires more than an instruction to review an output. Safe, effective adoption depends on the quality of the product, how it fits into clinical workflows, the support available and how organisations respond when something needs to improve.It is a shared endeavour. Suppliers bring responsibility for product quality, clear limitations and usable design. Organisations provide assurance, training, time and support. Clinical teams bring the expertise to shape how tools are introduced and used in care. Those of us supporting transformation have a responsibility to bring these elements together.Starting with people, not technologyThrough the work we do at SCFH, we know how important it is to start with the realities of the service: what teams need, where pressure exists and what would make care easier to deliver. Involving people early helps ensure that technology addresses those needs and that feedback shapes implementation from the outset.Patients are part of this too. Understandable information about how technology supports their care, and space to ask questions, can help build confidence. The opportunity is to strengthen the relationship between patients and the people caring for them.Go-live is only the beginningA successful go-live is an important milestone. What happens afterwards tells us whether the transformation is delivering its promise. Is administrative pressure reducing? Is released time translating into something valuable for staff and patients? Have new tasks or difficulties emerged? Is care becoming safer and more effective?These questions help us build the evidence and confidence to scale. They also give us permission to refine an approach as we learn. With technology evolving so quickly, that ability to listen, adapt and improve needs to be part of implementation from the beginning.Making progress meaningfulAs leaders, we can support this by being clear about the patient benefit we want to achieve and investing in the people and practical support needed to deliver it. The pace of deployment is one measure of progress; the difference it makes to care is the measure that gives it purpose.I’m optimistic about what AI and digital innovation can make possible for the NHS. We have an extraordinary opportunity to improve care and support the people delivering it. Clinical expertise, thoughtful design and shared learning will help us make the most of that opportunity.About TajaTaja Quigley is a Partner at SCFH, where she helps organisations reimagine care models through digital innovation. With experience tackling complex challenges across the NHS and public sector, she brings together clinical insight, technology, and delivery to build health systems that work smarter for patients, clinicians and the wider population.SCFH. A modern approach to health consulting.We combine strategic advisory with hands-on delivery, across data, digital and technology, helping health, life sciences and public sector organsisations improve outcomes, productivity and long-term value. Our diverse team brings together deep industry expertise, innovative thinking and a shared commitment to delivering outstanding results for our partners.
