The UK healthcare sector is at risk of falling behind other European countries in adopting AI, according to a pan-European study.
The report, produced by healthcare AI research and development company Corti and YouGov, shows that the vast majority of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the UK are not using AI at work, with 73% having never done so, a higher rate than any other nation in the study.
A total of 1,794 HCPs in the UK, Denmark, France and Germanty were surveyed online, with 507 of these being based in the UK. Fieldwork was undertaken between 26-28 November 2024.
Results show that the UK’s reluctance to adopt AI is driven by several factors, with a fear of errors (62%) the biggest barrier for UK HCPs compared to 44% in France, 53% in Germany and 56% in Denmark.
Confidence is also a significant hurdle, with less than one in four UK HCPs feeling comfortable with their ability to use AI tools, well below the European average of 31%.
A lack of awareness was a reason for 35% of UK HCPs, admitting that they are unaware of how AI could be applied to their work, such as for automating patient notes or supporting decision-making.
Andreas Cleve, cofounder and chief executive of Corti, said: “AI is key to the future success of healthcare. In a few short years, we’ve witnessed exciting progress.
“However, the vast majority of tools available today rely on general-purpose AI that isn’t built to integrate or adapt to the complexities of healthcare.
“As a result, these tools often fail to deliver, overpromising and struggling to scale beyond trials due to challenges with accuracy, cost, and integration.
“Is it any wonder clinicians feel they can’t trust AI when the tools they’re given aren’t designed with their needs in mind?
“Healthcare needs solutions that meet the intricate demands of real-world care environments, built on a new infrastructure the healthcare sector can trust to succeed.”
UK burnout rates are also among the highest in Europe, at 64% among HCPs over the past year, compared to 41% in Germany and 47% in France.
Furthermore, current workloads mean that 26% of UK healthcare professionals think about leaving the field on a weekly basis, the study found, yet the AI tools that could alleviate pressure remain underutilised compared with other European nations.
The release of the study coincides with the launch of Corti’s purpose-built AI infrastructure for healthcare.
There is evidence of high demand for AI in the NHS. In July 2024, research by think tank the Health Foundation found that more than three quarters of NHS staff (76%) support the use of AI to help with patient care.
A survey of 1,292 NHS staff members and 7,200 members of the UK public aged 16 years and older, published on 31 July 2024, also found that 81% of NHS staff favoured the use of AI for administrative tasks.