We welcomed the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt Hon James Murray MP, to Wythenshawe Hospital last week. Teams demonstrated how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is supporting faster diagnostics. Used specifically for chest X-rays, the Harrison tool can detect up to 124 distinct findings, flagging suspicious cases to clinicians in under 60 seconds.
We were joined by Dr Anna Sharman, Consultant Thoracic Radiologist, and Gareth Adams, Chief Executive of the CSS Clinical Group, who shared how the tool is speeding up entire pathways and helping reduce referral to treatment times for lung cancer.
We also had the opportunity to meet Peter, who was urgently referred into Wythenshawe by his GP after experiencing severe breathlessness whilst out on a hike. Peter was assessed using the AI tool, supporting clinicians to make a rapid diagnosis. He was diagnosed with sarcoidosis – a rare condition that causes small patches of swollen tissue to develop in organs of the body – and started on treatment within two weeks.
Peter spoke powerfully about the quality of care he received, saying ‘the speed of the diagnosis made a real difference – I felt like I had been given my life back.’ It’s often said the most important currency in healthcare is patient time, and I think of this every time I meet someone like Peter. It’s why our Care on Time programme is so important – minimising the time spent waiting and giving people their lives back.
Thank you to the radiology teams at Wythenshawe for supporting the visit so expertly, and to Peter for sharing his story.
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