Independent charity and think tank for UK health care quality and accessibility
The NHS is expanding an AI-driven triage tool in the NHS app to direct patients to the right service, including GPs, pharmacies or A&E. The rollout aims to reach about 200,000 patients in the next year and be available to all app users by April 2028, as part of a wider £10bn technology upgrade. Trials show reduced GP call volumes and more time for clinicians, but stakeholders warn about safety, privacy and digital inclusion.
A Health Foundation analysis shows the UK’s healthy life expectancy has fallen for both men and women from 2012–14 to 2022–24, with pronounced inequality between rich and poor areas. Experts call for bolder, cross-government action beyond NHS remedies, citing obesity, mental ill health, and avoidable illness as drivers. The government faces pressure to shift policy toward prevention and social determinants of health.