The U.K. Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) President Dr. Kath Halliday has called for a national conversation on the use of AI in healthcare on the heels of the revelation that more than half of Brits are unfamiliar with its use.
A U.K.-wide survey conducted by J.L. Partners on behalf of the RCR determined that less than half (46%) of the public have heard of AI being used in healthcare. Halliday said that although the public is largely unaware of how AI is being used in the U.K. National Health Service (NHS), they appear to recognize its potential.
"Our research shows that people trust doctors and want them to oversee the use of AI in healthcare," Halliday noted in an RCR statement. "In fact, AI tools are already used in over 60% of cancer centres and 70% of radiology departments, and the public feel confident about AI being used in this way."
AI is already being used on a daily basis across the NHS as a tool to support the work of doctors, and nowhere more so than across radiology and clinical oncology, the survey report noted. There is a persistent 30% shortfall in radiologists, despite increasing demand for CT and MRI scans every year.
In the report, the RCR called for long-term funding to support the implementation of AI in the NHS, further calling for transparent engagement with the public on AI adoption in the NHS, expansion of the specialist IT workforce, and support for health regulators to ensure robust processes for regulation and long-term audits of AI tools.
Moreover, the RCR highlighted the role of the Sudlow Review to address issues in equipment, IT and data (see hdruk.ac.uk/news/independent-review-maps-a-route-to-transform-the-uks-health-data-system/).
Among the questions the survey asked: "How convincing or unconvincing do you find the following arguments in favour of increasing the use of AI in healthcare?"
Figure from report by Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), "The Future of AI in Healthcare: Public perceptions of AI in Radiology," April 2025.
"Even among those who are generally uncomfortable with AI in healthcare, the ability to analyse large datasets is the most convincing argument in favour of increasing AI use in healthcare," the report stated. "Respondents cited the potential for incorrect diagnoses that doctors may blindly follow as the most concerning argument against the implementation of AI."
Find the 22-page report, titled "The Future of AI in Healthcare: Public perceptions of AI in Radiology," on the RCR website.
