AI alone cannot fix NHS, former health secretary warns Streeting
A former health secretary has warned that Wes Streeting cannot rely on artificial intelligence (AI) alone to fix the NHS.
Dame Patricia Hewitt, who held Mr Streeting's current role from 2005 to 2007, suggested more traditional methods of care could also keep elderly people healthy for longer.
Her successor is considering plans to use machine learning to offer personalised health MOTs to everyone approaching retirement.
In a letter to The Telegraph, Dame Patricia wrote: 'Personalised health checks for older people are vital. But truly radical reform of the NHS must not be all about genomic profiling and AI, as Wes Streeting appears to suggest.'
The former Labour MP pointed to a scheme in Brazil where community health agents go from door to door. The Telegraph reported earlier this month that they provide health advice, education and links to health services.
Dame Patricia welcomed that a similar scheme has now been deployed by the NHS in London, Norfolk and other areas.
She also lauded Australia's health checks for all 75-year-old citizens, which look for signs of osteoporosis, skin cancer and depression.
'These countries take an approach to healthy ageing that genuinely gets to the roots of the problem, and would achieve far better results at even lower cost than today's out-of-date programmes,' Dame Patricia wrote.
Officials are examining the use of personalised technology, including AI and genomic profiling, as they draw up a 10-year plan for the NHS, to be published in June.
Mr Streeting said the approach – inspired by advances in Japan – could prove a 'game-changer' for the delivery of healthcare in Britain.
He told The Telegraph earlier this month: 'I think Japan is interesting on two fronts. I'm particularly interested in the science and technology side, where you'd expect Japan to be a leader, but also they've got a very significant ageing society, so ... they support people to age.'
Japan has developed the world's fastest supercomputer, Fugaku, which is now being used to accelerate research in personalised medicine.
Mr Streeting hopes to take a similar approach, ultimately giving everyone personalised advice based on their genes, lifestyle and demographic group.
He said that by using genomics and AI 'people aren't just getting a general MOT, but a personal one ... where we're able to very early on, not only diagnose earlier and treat faster, but predict and prevent illness'.
Mr Streeting added: 'That is a game-changer, and that is the kind of exciting revolution in medical technology and life sciences that is just going to completely change the way we think about, let alone deliver, health and care.
'For me, against the sort of the backdrop of enormous challenges and sometimes quite a lot of pessimism, I see a lot of opportunity and hope.'
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