United KingdomHealthcare and life sciences2019–2022University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Babylon Ask A&E symptom checking and triage
University Hospitals Birmingham ended its Babylon AI symptom-checker contract in 2022
Problem
The trust wanted to reduce unnecessary emergency department visits by helping patients identify an appropriate service before attending hospital.
Approach
The trust contracted with Babylon in 2019 for AI symptom checking and triage through Ask A&E. Patients entered symptoms to receive guidance about care. In July 2022, the trust served notice to end the collaboration in October and said it was developing a new emergency department registration and triage project using lessons from the service. Babylon attributed the exit to NHS 111 superseding its service; Pulse also reported that Babylon was decommissioning its A&E symptom checker as NHS 111 became the preferred first contact for urgent care.
Results
No published figures
Takeaway
The trust ended a separate AI triage service while developing its next emergency department workflow. The supplier's explanation centered on overlap with NHS 111.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Business function
- Customer serviceProduction and quality
- Innovation type
- Product and service innovationProcess innovation
- AI technology
- Conversational and voice AI
- Adoption
- Vendor solution
- Evidence
- Press reporting
Sources
Source summaries
The report quoted Birmingham's confirmation that it served notice in July and would end the collaboration in October. The trust planned a new registration and triage project, while Babylon was withdrawing its A&E symptom checker amid the commitment to NHS 111.
The contract began in 2019. Babylon cited NHS 111.
Full details are in the original sources.
