Early-stage analysis shows that the use of AI decision-support software implemented by National Health Service (NHS) England has resulted in faster intervention for stroke patients.
The analysis of more than 60,000 brain scans shows that the software, implemented at all 100 regularly admitting NHS stroke services last summer, can reduce the time between a patient presenting with a stroke and receiving treatment by more than 60 minutes.
The data also show an increasing proportion of patients receiving thrombolysis, a potentially life-saving stroke treatment, from the previous year: 12.3% in 2024-2025, compared with 11.6% in 2023-2024, NHS England said.
Rapid intervention and treatment greatly increase the patient’s chances of survival and recovery without long-term complications and disabilities, such as paralysis and memory loss.
The AI brain scanning decision support technology enables rapid imaging processing, interpretation, and transfer of images between providers, to promote faster interpretation and treatment decisions, noted NHS England. Stroke patients can thus receive treatments such as thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy earlier.
Strokes are currently the fourth leading cause of death in the U.K., with around 38,000 stroke-related deaths each year, despite technological advances in care, it said.
