South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has noted the impact of robotic process automation to process GP referrals.
According to the latest national figures for March 2026, 77 percent of people at the trust are now receiving planned treatment within 18 weeks following a GP referral, South Tyneside and Sunderland shares, placing the trust “well above” the national average of 63.5 percent.
A number of new ways of working efficiently have reportedly been introduced, including new digital systems to help book appointments faster, and the “latest technologies” in treatment and diagnostics to expand the number of people who can be seen for tests and scans.
The trust also notes how its use of RPA software robots or “digital workers” is helping handle GP referrals more efficiently, stating: “It means referrals are now available for review by clinical teams within 48 hours of being made by a GP, and in many cases, within 24 hours.”
“We know that access to care is still the biggest priority for people when it comes to the NHS and these stats show how we are doing from a hospital perspective when people need a planned operation or procedure,” said Alison King, trust director of performance. “…As we look to the future, we want patients to have greater certainty about when they will be seen and technology is key to this. Our automated digital workers are just one aspect of this.”
Wider trend: AI
HTN was joined for a recent HTN Now webinar by an expert panel to discuss AI in primary care, covering successes and challenges with implementing AI in primary care, governance, adoption, and other practical learnings. Katie Baker, director with capital UK & Ireland of Tandem Health; Mateen Ellahi, GP and member of NHSE primary care advisory group, South Stockton PCN, Elm Tree Surgery; and Paul Miller, head of IT at Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB made up our panel.
UK government-backed Sovereign AI has announced the launch of its new £500 million fund, designed to give early-stage AI companies in the UK access to the funds, compute, and strategic assets needed to scale rapidly and compete on a global scale. The announcement offered an insight into what was on offer for UK AI providers, such as access to AI supercomputers with up to one million GPU hours per startup, early-stage investment of up to £20 million, and strategic assets to support with the creation of AI datasets and autonomous lab infrastructure. £282 million is also being dedicated to support AI startups with research and development, with a funding call to be announced for the creation of new datasets and other assets.
Barts Health NHS Trust has highlighted efficiencies achieved through the use of AI in handling patient complaints, sharing outcomes from a six month project at Newham Hospital. AI tools in use form part of the Microsoft Copilot system, and are approved for NHS use, the trust explains. All responses are reviewed and approved by staff members, and conversations, investigations, and clinical decisions are “always led by people”. Over a period of six months, the project resulted in increased efficiency in the complaints process, Barts Health shares. Key outcomes included a reduction of more than half in the amount of time spent drafting response letters, a “significant” reduction in the number of cases needing to be reopened, and an increased ability to respond to patients more quickly.
