Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust is launching a comprehensive AI strategy to embed artificial intelligence across clinical, operational, and research activities, promising a transformative impact on paediatric healthcare over the next three years.
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) is embarking on a landmark journey to embed artificial intelligence (AI) deeply across its clinical care, operational workflows, and research activities. This ambitious strategy, crafted by Chief Digital Information Officer Mark Coker alongside Director of Innovation Andrew Taylor, aims to transform paediatric healthcare delivery over the next three years through real-world AI applications designed to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Central to GOSH’s AI blueprint is an integrated approach that harnesses AI for a range of tasks—from managing operating theatre schedules and predicting intensive care unit (ICU) demand and bed occupancy, to providing clinical staff with concise summaries ahead of clinic visits and ward rounds. The hospital is also exploring AI-driven tools to assist in responding to messages from patients, reducing administrative burdens and enabling clinicians to prioritise direct patient care. This aligns with findings from a London-wide NHS trial involving the TORTUS ambient scribing technology—scheduled for wider rollout this autumn at GOSH—which leverages ambient voice recognition and generative AI to automate clinical note-taking, boosting face-to-face time with patients and improving workflow efficiency.
GOSH’s in-house Data Research, Innovation and Virtual Environments (DRIVE) unit—created in partnership with NHS Digital, University College London (UCL), and tech industry leaders—acts as a dynamic innovation hub where data scientists and clinical teams co-develop bespoke AI solutions, including natural language processing and advanced imaging techniques. This collaborative environment has already stemmed from GOSH’s earlier pioneering partnership with Microsoft, announced in 2018, which focused on developing AI-powered machine learning, decision support, and chatbot technologies to elevate personalised child healthcare.
Safety and ethics underpin the hospital’s approach. The AI strategy commits to rigorous governance frameworks aligned with the UK government’s AI Playbook, ensuring lawful, responsible, and transparent AI integration with maintained human oversight. An ethics committee will continuously review deployments, and all AI tools must meet stringent safety and efficacy standards before adoption. Mark Coker emphasises the importance of embedding trust and accountability in AI use: “Safety, ethics and governance are core to this strategy. Clinicians will retain decision-making authority, and we aim to build a workforce that understands when to trust AI and when to challenge it.”
To this end, GOSH is investing heavily in upskilling its staff across nursing, allied health professions, and clinical teams through webinars, workshops, technical training, and live demonstrations, with a goal of cultivating a fully AI literate workforce. This human-centred approach recognises that technology must meet the practical needs of frontline staff while supporting better clinical decisions and streamlined hospital operations.
The three-year roadmap is divided into phases: the first year focuses on establishing robust monitoring and governance structures, while subsequent years will scale AI solutions across the hospital, optimising both clinical and non-clinical workflows. By improving resource planning and scheduling through AI-driven efficiency gains, the hospital expects to maximise cost-effectiveness while enhancing personalised treatments.
Further reflecting GOSH’s commitment to innovation in complex paediatric healthcare, the hospital has also partnered with Roche UK to use AI and machine learning on routinely collected data to accelerate the development of new treatments for rare and complex diseases. This collaboration forms part of GOSH’s broader vision to position itself as a UK leader in responsible AI-driven healthcare innovation, ensuring that children’s care advances in tandem with technological progress.
GOSH’s AI strategy stands as a beacon of positive progress in the NHS’s broader digital transformation agenda. It recognises the unprecedented opportunities AI presents to enhance patient care, operational excellence, and medical research—all while navigating ethical imperatives and strengthening human expertise. As Mark Coker noted, “We must ensure that care for children and young people is not left behind” as the NHS shifts from analogue to digital. With clear leadership, governance, and a collaborative innovation ecosystem, GOSH is setting a standard for how AI can responsibly revolutionise paediatric healthcare.
Source: Noah Wire Services
