54% of Brits unaware AI is being used in healthcare, finds survey

More than half of the British public (54%) have not heard of AI being used in healthcare, according to a survey of public attitudes to AI in healthcare.

The research, conducted by J.L. Partners on behalf of the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), found that the public is sceptical about AI replacing the role of human doctors.

However people are more accepting of the use of AI in the NHS when they are familiar with AI in general, showing the need for greater public engagement, according to the report ‘AI deployment in the UK: Reviewing progress made and defining future actions‘, published by the RCR on 2 May 2025.

Dr Katharine Halliday, president of the RCR, said: “Though the public are largely unaware of how AI is being used in the NHS, they recognise its potential.

“Successfully harnessing AI will be crucial to tackle pressures on the health service – freeing up doctors and other healthcare staff to spend more time with patients.

“Our research shows that people trust doctors and want them to oversee the use of AI in healthcare.

“In fact, AI tools are already used in over 60% of cancer centres and 70% of radiology departments, and the public feel confident about AI being used in this way.”

Halliday called for a national conversation on the use of AI in healthcare to “bring people with us and reap the benefits for patient care”.

The survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,021 adults in Great Britain, carried out in December 2024, found that the public recognise the benefits AI can bring, such as its ability to assist doctors, save time and reduce waiting lists.

While 40% overall feel comfortable with healthcare AI, that figure rises to 76% among those who are very familiar with AI.

People expressed that they want doctors to ensure that AI will not make the wrong diagnoses or reduce human interaction between patients and their doctors, and also want assurance that their data will be safe and secure.

They also reported having more trust in their data being used to train AI models when it is managed by the NHS or their local GP, compared to when managed by abstract entities such as ‘government’ or ‘health technology companies’.

The public expressed confidence in AI’s ability to support radiology, including diagnostic tasks, with four in five (80%) people supporting its use in radiology and only 13% believing that radiologists should not use any AI tools.

In a joint statement published by the RCR, clinical AI experts and policy leaders says that the rollout of AI must be led by clinicians, and patients must hear the positive case for AI in the NHS.

The RCR has called for an urgent, effective rollout of AI – for functions such as administration and clinical support – to relieve pressures on staff.

Meanwhile in January 2025, results from a pan-European study showed that the UK healthcare sector is at risk of falling behind other European countries in adopting AI.