NHS Lothian partner in project evaluating adoption of artificial intelligence products
Testing a single piece of AI software currently takes more than nine months
NHS Lothian is one of two health boards in Scotland partnering with an evaluation company to speed up the safe adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare system.
The £1 million Innovate UK-funded project brings together NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals, Edinburgh and Glasgow universities, and technology companies.
Testing a single piece of AI software currently takes more than nine months, and with more than 200 AI products available for a single hospital department, checking all of them individually using traditional clinical trial or service evaluation models isn't realistic. The result is that very few trials turn into real-world solutions, meaning that patients, hospitals and AI developers all lose out.
The collaboration will use Aival's independent evaluation platform to assess AI systems in a secure environment, with all patient data anonymised and remaining within an NHS secure environment.
The project will assess the use of the Aival platform to compare six commercial AI products for the triage of stroke and lung cancer patients from AI developers InferVision, Annalise-AI and Qure.AI – who are all collaborating with the programme.
AI products are often calibrated to the locations where they are being used to allow for differences in the local population, meaning they may not generalise to different groups without extra training.
The performance of AI products changes over time – even when the product itself isn't altered. This is known as 'drift', and can happen as a patient population changes, as the commonness of a disease shifts, or a scanner's software is updated.
Dr Rishi Ramaesh, Consultant Radiologist and Innovation Fellow at NHS Lothian, said: 'Artificial intelligence has tremendous potential to improve patient care, but healthcare leaders need confidence that these systems are safe and effective. This project will help healthcare leaders to evaluate AI, and make sure that new technologies deliver real benefits for patients.'
Luciana D'Adderio, Edinburgh University academic and AI evaluation and assurance expert, said: 'AI technology is achieving widespread deployment across healthcare settings, yet its assurance has not received the rigorous attention it demands.
'The current frameworks for evaluation and monitoring fall short in adequately assuring AI systems, primarily because AI represents a fundamental departure from the traditional technologies these frameworks were designed to assess.
'There is an urgent need for innovative tools and technologies for AI assurance, which themselves must undergo thorough evaluation and validation. This critical challenge forms the cornerstone of our groundbreaking project.'
Kanwal Bhatia, CEO and founder of Aival, said: 'It's vital that we monitor and check AI that's being used in decisions on patients' health, to ensure the best outcomes for patients.
'Any healthcare workers using AI need to be sure that the product is doing what it says it does – not just now, but five years in the future. While many NHS teams understand this, they currently lack the tools to properly evaluate the AI products.
'Putting in place effective validation systems will encourage trust and adoption of AI, and will deliver cost savings and growth in the NHS and in private healthcare.
'We work hand in hand with NHS leaders, clinical and technical teams to provide the expertise and software to ensure that their AI systems are doing what they're supposed to do.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Powys County Times
Newtown's delayed Severn-side footbridge finally opens
Pedestrians and cyclists can finally cross the long-awaited bridge in Newtown which has opened more than a year later than originally planned. The steel, single span, open arch structure crosses the River Severn from the riverside path near Canal Road to behind the cemetery and Poundstretcher store in Pool Road where there's also a new outdoor gym. The Welsh Government-funded project, which was estimated to cost around £1.5 million, has faced delays since work began in June 2023. The 88-tonne bridge was planned to be lifted into place by the end of 2023, but it was in June last year when crowds gathered to watch one of Europe's largest cranes hoist the structure into place. There were further setbacks with the planned opening when construction firm JN Bentley had been waiting for months for 'critical' components for the safety barrier on each side of the bridge to be manufactured, tested and delivered from Switzerland. Powys County Council confirmed on Thursday, June 19, exactly two years since contractors began working on the site, that the bridge was open for people and their pets to cross. Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys, said: "This bridge will make a big difference to those living in the local area and will certainly provide them with the opportunity to make short journeys to work, school or the local shops, by bike or on foot, rather than having to get in the car. "We want to help improve access to the town centre to support local business, leisure facilities and much more." She added: "We would like to thank the local communities for their patience whilst this bridge has been built. "It is our most ambitious active travel development yet. "We appreciate that it has taken longer than anticipated and are pleased that it is finally open for people to use." The council added that over the coming weeks, small remedial jobs will still be done to the bridge and surrounding areas, but the bridge will remain open whilst these finishing touches are completed.
Edinburgh Live
6 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh nurse recognised for 'outstanding contributions' in King's Birthday Honours
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A NHS Lothian nurse has been recognised for her outstanding contributions to epilepsy care in the King's Birthday Honours. Yvonne Leavy, 55, was overwhelmed when she realised that she would be included in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list for the tireless work she has done over the course of her 37-year career. She said: "It was all so exciting and a bit overwhelming. I didn't even tell my family at first as I was unsure it would actually happen.' The mother-of-three started her career at the age of 18, qualifying to become a nurse in Dundee. She then moved down south to work in London and Oxford, gaining valuable experience and earning her MSc in Epileptology, before returning to Scotland to work as a Epilepsy Specialist Nurse at the former DCN at the Western General Hospital in 2003. Now she's an an integral part of the small and highly specialised team at NHS Lothian and credits her training at renowned epilepsy centres for jump starting her interest and passion in epilepsy. And she's even went on to collaborate with Edinburgh Napier University to develop an online training course for professionals working in epilepsy and contributed to the nursing chapter of The International League of Epilepsy, which supports nurses providing epilepsy care globally. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox She continued: "This award acknowledges the importance of nursing and epilepsy specialist nursing in particular. People with epilepsy face significant challenges and yet they also show incredible dignity and resilience. It is an honour to be involved in helping them to live their lives to the fullest. "I hope the future brings improved funding for this common condition and I am ready to drive this forward alongside my incredible colleagues here in Edinburgh.' Yvonne is one of just 110 recipients in Scotland to be recognised with this prestigious accolade. She joins a list of 1,214 remarkable individuals to be celebrated with this award. Alison MacDonald, Executive Nurse Director, NHS Lothian, added: 'I am absolutely delighted to see Yvonne Leavy recognised in the King's Birthday Honours. 'This is a well-deserved acknowledgement of her outstanding contributions to epilepsy care. 'Yvonne's dedication, expertise and compassion have made a real and lasting difference to the lives of so many patients and families. We are incredibly proud to have her as part of the NHS Lothian team.
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Daily Record
UK tourists warned as rabies case detected in Spain province
The Foreign Office website said the case of the 'almost always fatal' virus had been reported this month A case of the almost always fatal virus rabies has been detected in Valencia, prompting a warning to individuals planning to travel to Spain. The Foreign Office revealed that the case was reported earlier this month. A recent update on the Foreign Office-funded Travel Health Pro website stated: "In early June 2025, the Valencian Health Department reported a fatal case of rabies in a Spanish resident bitten by a dog during a trip to Ethiopia in July 2024." Rabies is a virus transmitted through the saliva of animals, commonly spreading to humans via bites, scratches, or licks on open wounds from infected animals, primarily dogs. According to Travel Health Pro: "It can also be a risk if an animal spits and saliva gets into the eyes, mouth or nose. The virus attacks the central nervous system, causing progressive damage to the brain and spinal cord. Once symptoms are present, rabies is almost always fatal." The Spanish General Directorate of Public Health confirmed: "In early June 2025, the Valencian Health Department reported a fatal case of rabies in a patient who suffered a dog bite during a trip to Ethiopia in July 2024. The case poses no risk to public health as it is transmitted only through bites from rabid animals, and mainland Spain and its islands have been free of rabies in terrestrial mammals since 1978. "According to the Contingency Plan for the Control of Terrestrial Rabies in Captive and Wild Animals in Spain, 2023, Spain is at alert level 0 (no cases of terrestrial rabies). In the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla, alert level 1 is occasionally activated, due to the risk that imported cases of animal rabies crossing the border from Morocco may come into contact with local populations of feral dogs, leading to local transmission." The victim's wife, the only contact at risk, was also given the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin. Marciano Gómez, Spain's minister of health, stressed it was an "isolated" case, adding that rabies had been eradicated in Spain. The country is one of several - including nations like the UK, Japan, New Zealand and Australia - to declare themselves rabies free. NHS rabies advice: Get medical help immediately if: you've been bitten or scratched by an animal while you're abroad an animal has licked your eyes, nose or mouth, or licked a wound you have, while you're abroad you've been bitten or scratched by a bat in the UK If you're abroad, get medical help as soon as possible. Do not wait until you get back to the UK. If you're in the UK, ask for an urgent GP appointment, call NHS 111 or get help from 111 online.
