The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Trust Group have joined a European network for responsible AI, in a move said to “reflect the UHL and UHN Group’s leading-edge work to test and embed artificial intelligence solutions for the benefit of patients, communities and colleagues”.
The Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network, named TRAIN, was first established in the US in March 2024, before expanding to Europe to help organisations “operationalise responsible AI with the right technological guardrails in place”. With Microsoft as a major technology partner, members of the consortium will share best practices and focus on improving the quality, safety, and trustworthiness of AI in healthcare.
UHL and UHN are already reportedly working to trial ambient voice technology to capture notes from patient consultations, developing AI in the use of clinical coding, and testing AI translation platforms capable of converting health information videos into a range of languages “within seconds”.
Will Monaghan, group CDIO, highlighted the “huge” potential for AI in healthcare, adding: “Joining forces with organisations across Europe will mean we can share the knowledge and tools that will support ethical implementation.” He also noted the group’s excitement at becoming “founding members” of TRAIN in Europe, stating that “by working together, we can ensure AI solutions are rolled out safely and equitably, aligning our practices to the European Healthcare Standards”.
As members of TRAIN, the group will contribute to objectives around the development of AI in healthcare including providing tech and tools to enable “trustworthy and responsible AI principles” to be operationalised at scale, collaborating to ensure low-resource settings can benefit from AI guardrails, and sharing best practices. They will also work toward “enabling registration of AI” for clinical use through an online portal, offering tools to measure outcomes associated with AI implementation, and developing a federated AI outcomes registry for real-world outcomes to be shared amongst health and care organisations.
AI for health and care
A recent HTN Now webinar saw us joined by expert panellists from across the health sector to debate the practicalities of AI technologies, exploring topics including implementation, adoption, the role of data, policy, regulation, evaluation and best practices. Panellists included Neill Crump, digital strategy director at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; Lee Rickles, CIO, director and deputy SIRO at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust; and Beatrix Fletcher, senior programme manager (AI) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT).
For a HTN Now panel discussion from last year we looked at whether the reality of AI will live up to the current hype, and how to manage bias in healthcare data. Expert panellists included Puja Myles, director at MHRA Clinical Practice Research Datalink; Shanker Vijayadeva, GP lead and digital transformation for the London region at NHS England; and Ricardo Baptista Leite, M.D., CEO at HealthAI, the global agency for responsible AI in health. The session explored topics including what is needed to manage bias; what “responsible AI” really looks like; how to ensure AI is inclusive and equitable; how AI can help support underserved populations; the deployment of AI in the NHS; and the potential to harness AI in supporting the shift from reactive to proactive care.
SBRI Healthcare also announced £1.3 million in funding for 14 innovations supporting women’s health across three categories: gynaecological conditions and hormonal health, mental health, and chronic conditions and long-term health. Projects awarded funding include a platform designed to empower those with long-term conditions with the help of data insights and AI-driven engagement, as well as a device utilising laser light to capture “bio-vitals” and deliver “AI-assisted diagnosis” for cardiac conditions in women.
