Breakthrough as AI tool rolled out in NHS stroke centres to triple full recovery rates

Half of all NHS stroke patients will be three times more likely to make a full recovery, thanks to world-first artificial intelligence software. The AI brain scans, rolled out in stroke centres across the country, have sped up the rate of diagnosis by over an hour and tripled the number of patients recovering with no or only a slight disability from 16% to 48%, according to NHS trials. The cutting-edge technology identifies the severity of bleeds and blockages on the brain and recommends the best treatment in around one minute.

It also enables doctors to focus on offering the appropriate treatment, be it drugs or therapy, and is set to cut the time between patients arriving at hospital and receiving care from 140 minutes to just 79 minutes. Health officials said the new system could "revolutionise" stroke diagnosis in the 107 centres it will be rolled out in, helping a sizeable chunk of the 80,000 people who suffer from strokes in England every year, according to the Daily Mail.

David Hargroves, national clinical director for strokes at NHS England, said: "This AI decision support technology is revolutionising how we help people who have been affected by a stroke.

"It is estimated a patient loses around two million brain cells a minute at the start of a stroke, which is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is so critical.

"AI decision support software provides real-time interpretation of patients' brain scans - supporting expert doctors and other NHS staff to make faster treatment decisions.

"NHS stroke teams have been leading the way in rolling out AI, and with every stroke centre now using the technology, it is already playing a key role in improving the care of thousands of people in England every year."

The AI intervention could mark a breakthrough in stroke treatment, cutting the number of people unable to gain "functional independence" during recovery, some of whom have to live with long-term paralysis, memory loss and communication issues.

Strokes occur when blood supply to the brain is cut off by a blood clot or burst blood vessel, but treatment is often complicated because specialist interpretation of brain scans is needed.

The new system will be able to recognise patterns in the scans not immediately obvious to the human eye, speeding up diagnosis and care.

While more people are surviving strokes than ever before thanks to advances in NHS care, it remains the fourth most common cause of death in the UK, killing around 38,000 every year.