AI Agents Revolutionising Healthcare, NHS App Overhaul Levels Up, UK Leads on Safe AI, and More
This week, I found myself thinking about how far healthcare has come in its digital transformation, and how much further it has to go.
Let's start with this article from Bernard Marr on the amazing ways AI agents will transform healthcare. He outlines how autonomous systems could soon be scheduling appointments, analysing symptoms, and handling admin work that currently consumes far too much clinical time. The idea of HCPs being supported by digital teammates isn’t science fiction anymore, it’s fast becoming standard operating procedure.
What makes this even more real is what’s happening on the ground in the UK. The government just announced an overhaul of the NHS App, aiming to break down barriers and reduce inequalities in care. Updates like AI-powered triage, real-time waitlists, and symptom checkers don’t just improve convenience, they help people who traditionally have less access to the system. When technology works for everyone, that’s when it becomes powerful.
Of course, rolling out AI in healthcare isn’t just about features is it. More about trust and safety. That’s why it’s so significant that the UK’s MHRA is leading a global network focused on the responsible use of AI in healthcare. This includes international collaboration to share best practices and safety insights, a move that reinforces the UK’s position as a serious player in setting the rules of the road.
We saw a similar theme at HLTH Europe 2025, where experts talked about the need to create ecosystems, not just isolated innovations. The message was clear: AI can’t live in silos. If it’s going to redefine healthcare, it needs the right mix of data access, evidence generation, and shared goals. This idea of building integrated systems is one I keep coming back to.
Still, amid all this momentum, there are early signs of growing pains. NHS England recently raised concerns around AI-powered transcription tools that were being used without regulatory accreditation. It’s a reminder that speed can’t come at the cost of oversight. We need to move fast, but not so fast that we skip the safety checks.
And while we're thinking about long-term impact, it’s worth paying attention to where investment is headed. A report from Precedence Research shows the preventive healthcare technologies market is expected to grow from around $336 billion in 2025 to more than $920 billion by 2034. That’s a massive shift, and it reflects a deeper change in how health is being defined. Prevention, enabled by early detection and smart systems, is becoming the new frontline of care (at last).
What stood out across all of this was how interconnected the themes are. The technology only works if it's trusted. It only scales if it’s embedded in systems designed for the people using them. And it only lasts if it delivers better outcomes without unintended consequences.
In some ways, we’re watching healthcare recalibrate itself, trying to move from patchwork solutions to something more cohesive and sustainable. And maybe the biggest challenge isn’t the technology itself, it’s making sure the people and processes around it are ready to keep pace.
Have a good weekend,
Global Leader in Insurance Strategy & Workforce Resilience | Redefining Corporate Health Models for High-Risk Industries | MD, PhD, HIAA, ACHE
1moIncredible summary, Kevin. Your framing of trust, integration, and human-centric AI in healthcare couldn’t be more timely. At Baetna Wellness Intelligence, we’re building predictive policy systems that simulate hospital behaviors, patient risk, and insurance outcomes—mirroring much of what you describe with the NHS App overhaul. The biggest challenge we see? Not just the tech itself, but aligning people and processes to absorb its power sustainably. Looking forward to more cross-sector learning and sharing. Thanks for this excellent piece.