New technology, which hundred of thousands of women will be invited to help test over the coming months, could improve diagnoses while also lessening demands on radiologists, according to DHSC

Hundreds of thousands of women will take part in a major NHS trial of artificial intelligence tools which senior officials claim could provide “faster and more accurate” diagnoses of breast cancer.

AI systems has been installed at 30 health-service testing facilities throughout England. In the coming weeks and months, patients who are scheduled to attend routine screening appointments will be invited to take part in the tech trials. The Department of Health and Social Care is expecting about 700,000 women to participate.

The technology is designed to “identify changes in breast tissue that show possible signs of cancer and refer them for further investigations if required”.

Mammograms typically currently require two specialist radiographers but, according to the DHSC, an AI-powered screening can be safely performed by only one person – which “could free up hundreds of radiologists and other specialists across the country to see more patients”.

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The trial – known as Edith: Early Detection using IT in Health – is supported by an £11m investment by the government-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at DHSC and chief executive officer of NIHR, said: “This landmark trial could lead to a significant step forward in the early detection of breast cancer, offering women faster, more accurate diagnoses when it matters most. It is another example of how NIHR research, shaped and funded by the public, is crucial for rigorously testing world-leading new technologies, such as AI, that can potentially save lives while reducing the burden on the NHS.”

A total of 55,000 people in England are diagnosed with breast cancer each year – and the disease is the most common form of cancer to affect women. Between the ages of 50 to 71, women are offered routine NHS screening every three years, equating to more than 2.1 million scans taking place annually. These procedures prevent about 1,300 deaths each year, government claims.