NHS to launch AI screening trials with new cloud platform

Millions of NHS patients could soon receive quicker diagnoses as the government prepares to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) trials in screening services on a national scale.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced plans to create a new cloud-based research platform, backed by £6 million in government funding, that will allow AI tools to be trialled simultaneously across multiple NHS trusts. The system, known as the AI Research Screening Platform (AIR-SP), aims to overcome longstanding barriers to digital adoption in screening programmes, particularly in cancer detection.

Currently, around 90% of AI screening tools never progress beyond pilot projects. Each NHS trust must build bespoke IT systems to test algorithms and access imaging data, costing up to £3.5 million per study. The new unified cloud will centralise multiple AI tools in a single secure environment, cutting duplication and saving an estimated £2–3 million for every multi-site study.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the initiative would help transform both patient care and the UK’s global tech standing: “The AI revolution is here, and we are arming staff with the latest ground-breaking technology, so patients get faster and smarter care. This new platform will see lifesaving AI tools rolled out in trials across the country – so staff can treat patients quicker with cutting-edge tech.”

The AIR-SP system is expected to take around two years to build, with the first research studies starting in 2027. Its initial use case will support a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) trial involving nearly 700,000 women, testing AI’s ability to detect early signs of breast cancer.

Senior figures across the NHS and research community also hailed the move as a necessary step in shifting the health service from analogue to digital. Dr Kevin Dunbar, NHS Deputy Director of Public Health, Vaccination and Screening, said the platform would “vastly accelerate research” while boosting NHS productivity. Professor Lucy Chappell, DHSC Chief Scientific Adviser, added that rigorous evaluation in real-world settings was essential to unlocking AI’s potential safely.

With the first AI research trials slated to begin before the end of the decade, NHS England and DHSC say the cloud platform could mark a turning point in digital health adoption. If successful, it will enable faster, more cost-effective trials – and potentially help save thousands more lives through earlier diagnosis.