As GP practices improve access via technology, Totus and X-on Health join forces to roll out their AI assistant across the UK.
AI-powered assistant Tortus and X-on Health, the UK’s largest provider of GP telephony, are rolling out their AI assistant, Surgery Intellect, to GP practices across the UK.
Surgery Intellect listens to consultations – both face-to-face and over the telephone – and generates clinical notes, referrals, tasks and coding in real time.
Early results from the partnership suggest that up to four minutes per consultation is saved. This, the firms say, means less admin, and more focus for clinicians.
What makes the partnership significant is its scale. As Healthcare Today reported in February, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust was the first to take part in a three-month pilot of Tortus to help increase face-to-face time with children and their patients during Community Paediatric Service appointments. But X-on Health handles more than 40 million GP calls each month which scales the system to more than 3,500 practices.
“Many organisations are looking into AI medical scribes, but only a select few can achieve and maintain the rigorous clinical safety standards required by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,” said Julian Coe, managing director of X-on Health.
“Integrating Surgery Intellect into our Surgery Connect and Surgery Assist platforms will consolidate previously fragmented systems into a single, intelligent care navigation solution, ultimately improving patient access and reducing operational pressures on GP practices,” he continued.
Improving access
The deal is timely as GP practices improve access by embracing technology and increasing appointments. NHS figures at the end of May show that there were 29.3 million GP appointments in April this year – up almost a fifth on the same period pre-pandemic, in April 2019.
The government reckons that this is thanks to the way that GP practices are using technology. Almost every (99%) GP practice in England now has a digital telephone system in place to make it easier for people to get through to their family doctor.
“For some patients, going online to contact their GP practice can be more convenient and so it’s great to see practices… making advances in the use of technology to support this shift for people who are confident and have digital access,” said Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services.
Office for National Statistics figures show that almost three-quarters (72%) of people said it was easy or very easy to contact their GP, compared to 60% in July last year.
