Ensuring that uses of tech and AI in health care have the backing of the public and NHS staff will be critical to successfully embedding them in everyday practice. The latest wave of our survey suggests that, on balance, the public supports the use of tech and AI in health care, and NHS staff even more so. Yet the findings also highlight a number of issues that policymakers and NHS leaders will need to address if this agenda is to succeed.

Ensure the implementation and use of technology in the NHS is effective and well supported 

This year’s survey saw an increase in the percentage saying that technology makes care worse, particularly among NHS staff. Introducing technology into the health system without sufficient support to implement it effectively risks alienating staff. For example, our 2025 study on electronic patient records noted that the longer organisations are left to struggle with implementation challenges, the harder it can be to generate staff enthusiasm for working to improve them. Plans for new technology need to consider how it will be implemented in practice and the resources needed to support front-line staff in doing this.

Work closely with the public on the design of new NHS App functions 

The recent 10-Year Health Plan in England proposed several new uses of the NHS App and our findings suggest many of these are strongly supported. Designing these effectively will require working closely with the public. Experiences with health technology suggest it is important to involve users early on in the design process, as early as the problem definition stage, to ensure the proposed solution effectively addresses user needs. In line with the public’s more cautious attitudes to AI compared with technology in general, support is notably lower for using the App to receive AI-generated advice for non-urgent care. It’s therefore likely that this ‘doctor in your pocket’ function will require the greatest level of user engagement to ensure strong uptake. 

Take account of public views in developing proposals for regulatory reform 

The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare is currently considering how the regulatory framework needs to evolve to best address the challenges posed by AI. Given the need to create an environment where AI-enabled technology is trusted by users, public attitudes will be an important consideration in this work. An effective regulatory framework may well be able to balance speed, safety and other principles that matter to patients. Our findings, however, suggest that much of the public approaches AI in health care with a cautious perspective, prioritising stronger diligence requirements or safeguards, such as checks or evidence, over other potential benefits, such as speed or economic development.

Engage systematically with people from social groups who express greater caution or concern 

For new technology-enabled models of care to be successfully embedded in service delivery and used to their full potential, they will need to command the confidence of the whole population. Our findings demonstrate that support for technology and AI in health care is not evenly distributed; for example, those most likely to be on low income or have no income (in socioeconomic groups D and E) are more likely to view them negatively. Securing widespread public backing for technology and AI in health care, and ensuring new technologies work for all, will therefore require policymakers and NHS leaders to engage with and address the concerns of groups who are currently least supportive. 

Overall, building and sustaining public and staff confidence will require careful attention to how new tools are introduced, how risks are managed and how the concerns and perspectives of different groups are taken into account. The way these challenges are approached will play an important role in shaping how technology and AI in health care are used, and trusted, in the years to come.