Hospitals in Greater Manchester are to begin using an new AI (artificial intelligence) technology which will help doctors to detect diseases, including lung cancer, quicker.
The new technology will be rolled out at seven NHS Trusts across the region over the next few months as part of a partnership between Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, Greater Manchester Imaging Network and global health tech firm Annalise.ai. It has now gone live at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, with other Trusts to follow soon.
It will see an AI-powered chest X-ray decision-support system used to read chest X-rays. The tool can detect up to 124 findings on chest radiographs – which will help healthcare professionals detect diseases, including lung cancer, quicker.
When the Annalise.ai chest X-ray solution identifies potential lung cancer cases, the information is relayed to the reporting medical provider in under a minute. This allows healthcare professionals to prioritise the review of the chest x-rays identified as suspicious, helping to detect (or rule out) cancer more quickly. The tool will enhance efficiency and care quality within lung cancer detection in Greater Manchester.
Integrating the Annalise.ai solution through Sectra Imaging – a leading imaging IT provider to health systems worldwide – across all seven Trusts within the Greater Manchester Imaging Network, will allow a comprehensive evaluation of this technology across the region, which has a population of 2.8 million people. It is being funded by from the Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics Fund (AIDF).
The need to detect cancer more quickly is particularly urgent in Greater Manchester, where lung cancer rates sit at 24% above the national average and life expectancy is lower than in England as a whole.
The project forms part of a wider programme of work being led by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, with the aim of improving cancer outcomes and experiences for the population of Greater Manchester.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said:
“When I was diagnosed with cancer, a world-class surgeon equipped with a robot helped save my life – showcasing the very best of our NHS.
“Breakthroughs like this AI tool will help to save lives across the country, speeding up diagnosis so that doctors can provide the best possible treatments to patients sooner.
“As part of our 10 Year Health Plan, I am determined that we embrace this kind of innovation and shift the health service from analogue to digital, so more patients can get their lives back.”
Andy Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester and co-chair, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership said:
“We know we have higher rates of lung cancer in Greater Manchester than elsewhere in the country, so I’m delighted to see this new partnership which we hope will help to get treatment to people sooner. I’m glad to see Greater Manchester leading the way in this area.”
Miss Toli Onon, Joint Chief Medical Officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The integration of cutting-edge technology like Annalise for faster diagnosis of diseases like lung cancer is a fantastic development and enhances the innovative strides we are already making at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. These include the introduction of Ion, our advanced robotic lung bronchoscopy system, enabling early detection of the disease at its most treatable stages; and our pioneering Lung Health Check programme, where mobile community screening units have identified over 600 cases of lung cancer with the majority caught at early, curable stages.
“We are pleased to be involved in the roll out of this exciting piece of technology and to work closely with our partners in Greater Manchester to make the most of these advancements to improve outcomes for our patients.”