AI brain scans on the NHS could triple stroke recovery rates by diagnosing patients over an hour faster than human doctors.
The “revolutionary” tech is being used in every stroke unit across the health service to help tens of thousands of patients after a successful pilot.
It uses artificial intelligence software to read suspected stroke patients’ CT brain scans and immediately compare them to a database of previous patients.
This means the exact type of stroke and its location and severity can be judged much quicker than it could by the human eye.
The faster doctors get an exact diagnosis, the sooner they can start treatment to reduce the risks of long-lasting disability or brain damage.
Study results last year showed use of the AI scan boosted the proportion of patients who made a full recovery from 16 per cent to 48 per cent.
More than 110,000 Brits have strokes each year and they are caused by blockages in the blood vessels that supply oxygen-filled blood to the brain.
When oxygen is cut off, parts of the brain get starved of energy and die, causing nerve damage that can be crippling or even fatal.
Many survivors suffer physical and mental health issues for years.
David Hargroves, NHS consultant and stroke chief at NHS England, said: “This is revolutionising how we help people affected by a stroke.
“It is estimated that a patient loses around two million brain cells a minute at the start of a stroke, which is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is so critical.
“AI decision-support software provides real-time interpretation of patients’ brain scans so we can make faster treatment decisions.
“Every stroke centre is now using this technology and it is improving the care of thousands of people in England every year.”
