Diagnostics are the foundation of effective treatment, yet they remain one of the most resource intensive and time critical areas of the NHS.
Backlogs, rising demand and staff shortages have made timely diagnosis a national priority.
To address this challenge, Hudson & Hayes partnered with NHS England Diagnostics in the Midlands to explore how AI and automation could reduce DNAs, improve patient information and eliminate unnecessary appointments. Together we developed a structured AI roadmap and delivered a live proof of concept that demonstrated how Agentic AI can support diagnostics at scale.
Now, with the rise of AI in the NHS, intelligent systems such as Agentic AI and AI Agents are reshaping how diagnostics are delivered, managed and scaled. The Midlands programme represents one of the most practical examples of how this can work in real clinical environments.
Diagnostic delays lead to treatment bottlenecks, unnecessary admissions and worse patient outcomes.
A 2025 University College London study found that while AI in diagnostics shows significant potential, most trusts struggle with governance, interoperability and scaling.
The Midlands programme confirmed this. Before Hudson & Hayes began, AI literacy and promising ideas were present, but efforts across trusts were fragmented, inconsistent and not yet prepared for investment. Our role was to bring structure, clarity and a unified regional strategy that supported the NHS Long Term Plan and ensured that opportunities were not missed or duplicated.
For the NHS, digital transformation in healthcare is no longer optional. AI provides a data driven path to reduce waiting times, accelerate triage and optimise clinical capacity, directly improving patient experience and reducing cost per diagnosis.
One of the core use cases developed by Hudson & Hayes as part of the Midlands roadmap was a patient facing diagnostic assistant. It supports patients through procedures such as colonoscopy and MRI, improves preparation and reduces DNAs.
Our proof of concept focused on an NHS Colonoscopy Assistant that uses Agentic AI to guide patients through every step of the journey.
The assistant includes:
Patients can access the assistant from QR codes on letters, web portals, SMS links, email links or the NHS App. Secure access uses one time passwords and is designed to move toward NHS App single sign on.
Trusts can configure appointment details, location, preparation instructions and AI support.
The assistant uses pre approved clinical content and adapts responses based on patient cohort, language and anxiety level. Red flag questions generate alerts for clinical review.
Videos and interactive content help reduce uncertainty and improve readiness.
Email and SMS reminders guide patients at key moments. Voice call support improves accessibility for those with limited digital literacy.
The benefits model that Hudson & Hayes created for the Midlands region showed that reducing DNAs by only 1 percent could release nearly 90,000 appointments per year across 11 ICBs. It also improves Friends and Family scores and reduces administrative time for staff.
This is automation in healthcare with purpose. It creates a confident, informed and reliable diagnostic journey.
Hudson & Hayes incorporated existing national imaging evidence into the Midlands roadmap to build practical AI imaging pathways.
Imaging is one of the most mature domains for AI in the NHS.
Examples include:
In the Midlands roadmap, these imaging capabilities were designed to connect directly to the patient facing assistant. Agentic AI can:
This closes the loop from scheduling to reporting and creates a more predictable diagnostic pathway.
Pathology, genomics and digital biomarkers form another key area highlighted in the AI roadmap created by Hudson & Hayes.
The National Pathology Imaging Co operative (NPIC) already uses AI to analyse cancer slides and identify early stage changes.
In future, AI Agents will allow the Midlands region to:
This moves pathology from passive analysis to active diagnostic orchestration.
Predictive diagnostics were a major component of Hudson & Hayes’ future state vision for the Midlands.
One example is the Imperial College AI ECG model that can identify ten year mortality risk with 78 percent accuracy.
Agentic AI can:
This shifts diagnostics from reactive to predictive care.
Hudson & Hayes ensured that all diagnostic AI recommendations aligned with national guidance from HFMA, NHS England and the UK Government’s AI safety policies.
The Midlands roadmap followed a structured delivery approach designed by Hudson & Hayes:
This matches national developments such as the UK Government’s AI screening platform launched in 2025.
Ethical design and AI governance are not obstacles. They are the foundations of safe, scalable innovation.
Because Hudson & Hayes designed the patient-facing assistant with NHS England Diagnostics, the solution directly supports personalised, safer and more accessible patient journeys.
Patients receive tailored updates, reminders, preparation guidance and answers to common questions.
Non clinical queries are resolved instantly, and clinical queries are escalated safely.
Across imaging, pathology and predictive diagnostics, this work reduces time spent searching for information and increases the time clinicians spend with patients.
The Midlands engagement confirmed that while AI presents major opportunities, benefits depend on governance, data quality and alignment across ICSs and trusts.
Hudson & Hayes identified the main barriers:
Without coordination, NHS organisations risk duplicating pilots and competing for the same resources. The regional roadmap ensured shared platforms and shared learning.
Diagnostics sit at the heart of AI transformation in the NHS.
Through our partnership with NHS England Diagnostics in the Midlands, Hudson & Hayes demonstrated how AI Agents and Agentic AI can reduce DNAs, release capacity and improve patient confidence through practical and scalable use cases.
The roadmap and proof of concept work show how these ideas can be turned into investment ready opportunities that support national priorities.
The real opportunity lies in creating fully connected diagnostic systems that learn, adapt and collaborate across the NHS ecosystem.
Achieving this will require strong AI governance, strategic planning and a benefits led approach that keeps patients at the centre.
With the right leadership, diagnostics will not only become faster and more accurate. They will also become smarter, fairer and more human.
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