RCR President calls for more urgency over AI

U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) President Dr. Katharine Halliday has called for the National Health Service (NHS) to embrace AI to deal with rapidly increasing imaging demand and waiting times.

Dr. Kath Halliday. Image courtesy of RCR.

In a 4 February address at the RCR and NHS England Global AI Conference in London, Halliday said the country’s radiologic services are at a tipping point and that AI could boost productivity, speed up diagnoses, and free up doctors to focus on patients.

“Each winter, the pressures facing the NHS are worse than the last. Chronic staff shortages in radiology mean patients face delayed diagnoses, while outsourcing costs spiral. With demand only set to rise, we will not cope unless we harness the power of AI and new technology,” she said.

The NHS is facing a 30% shortfall in radiologists, which could rise to 40% by 2028, while demand for CT and MRI scans is rising each year, Halliday noted. She also spoke in favor of the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which was unveiled on 13 January.

“The rollout of AI must be handled with expert oversight. We need a national conversation to ensure AI in healthcare is safe, effective, and earns public trust,” she said.