In a groundbreaking move to revolutionise healthcare communications, a dedicated taskforce established in early 2024 has unveiled its engagement paper, inviting feedback from NHS communications professionals.
This initiative, in partnership with the NHS Confederation, aims to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency, impact, and personalisation of NHS communication strategies.
The taskforce's mission is clear: to empower NHS communicators with an AI operational framework, tools, and skills that will transform healthcare communications. By leveraging AI, the taskforce aims to deliver impactful, efficient, and personalised communication strategies, ultimately revolutionising the way the NHS engages with staff, patients, and communities.
Following months of sector engagement through webinars and in-depth discussions with industry leaders, the taskforce has published an engagement paper. This document pulls together the insights gathered and outlines proposals for implementing AI tools across all NHS communication channels. It also poses targeted questions to NHS communications professionals, inviting their feedback.
The engagement paper highlights several key initiatives:
- National Operating Framework: A comprehensive framework defining goals, priorities, and standards for AI in communications, aligned with the broader AI in Communications Policy.
- AI Communication Innovation Hub: A centre of excellence for collaboration and knowledge exchange, supporting the development, testing, and deployment of innovative AI solutions.
- Community of Interest Group: A collaborative network of peers from various backgrounds, providing practical insights and feedback to improve AI-driven communication strategies.
- AI Communication Ethics Framework: Principles and values to guide the use of AI, addressing crucial issues such as data protection, privacy, consent, fairness, transparency, and human oversight.
- Monitoring and Evaluation System: A system to ensure accountability and continuous improvement, measuring and reporting on the performance, outcomes, and impacts of AI communication systems.
In the foreword to the engagement paper, the following is said about the introduction of AI across the health service:
“We are clear that AI is a tool to enhance, not replace, the human touch. This work aims to establish safe parameters and a framework for using AI in NHS Communications, where technology enhances our ability to serve, inform, and engage with patients, staff, and communities.
"By augmenting our efforts, we can provide better service to our staff, patients and communities by using the limited resources our teams have at their disposal more efficiently.
“This initiative represents a significant step forward in integrating AI into NHS communications, offering a robust framework to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by this transformative technology.”
NHS communications professionals are now being invited to contribute to the engagement process by participating in a survey and attending regional sessions scheduled for January and February 2025. The engagement period will conclude on 28 February 2025, with a final operating framework to be published in the spring.
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