The use of AI in UK healthcare
Think tank: The Policy Institute
Author(s): Professor Bobby Duffy; Amy Clark; Findlay MacAskill
May 13, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute examines public perceptions and healthcare priorities.
AI is creating a significant shift in how people access healthcare, yet public attitudes to the technology remain deeply divided, according to a major new study by King’s Health Partners, Responsible AI UK and the Policy Institute at King’s College London.
The research finds that one in seven (15%) of the public have used AI chatbots for health advice instead of contacting a GP or other NHS service, and one in ten (10%) say they have used AI for mental health therapy or wellbeing support instead of seeing a trained professional.
