Half of stroke patients can now “fully recover” after the NHS introduced “revolutionary” software that allows patients to receive a diagnosis up to one hour faster compared with traditional methods.
Analysis from NHS England has found that the specialised AI-assisted tool has been used to interpret the brain scans of more than 60,000 patients since the roll-out last summer, as half of stroke patients now receive a diagnosis from the software.
The service, available in 100 NHS stroke clinics, allows for rapid processing and interpretation of brain scans, which helps doctors to make faster decisions about treatment.
A stroke occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off
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The improved scans mean that patients can now get a diagnosis up to an hour faster than when they are diagnosed with traditional methods.
During a stroke, the blood supply to parts of the brain is blocked or reduced, causing the brain cells to die. Without fast treatment, a stroke can result in death or long-term disabilities such as memory loss, problems communicating or paralysis.
The software has been hailed as “revolutionising” stroke care, as it has been shown to triple the chance of patients making a full recovery — defined as living with either no or slight disability after a stroke.
David Hargroves, NHS England’s national clinical director for stroke, said: “This AI-assisted technology is revolutionising how we help people who have had a stroke because it is estimated they are losing around 2 million brain cells a minute, which is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is critical.
The service allows for rapid processing and interpretation of brain scans
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“I’ve seen first-hand how using AI decision support software is enabling real-time interpretation of patients’ brain scans, supporting expert doctors and other NHS staff to make faster treatment decisions.
“NHS stroke teams have been leading the way in rolling out AI, and with every stroke centre now using the technology, it is already playing a key role in improving the care of thousands of people who have a stroke in England every year.”
NHSE has credited the software with helping to improve stroke outcomes, as its analysis showed an sharp increase in the numbers of people making a full recovery, from 16 per cent to 48 per cent.
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The number of people receiving thrombolysis — a treatment for stroke where a drug is used to break down the clot — has also increased from 11.6 per cent last year to 12.3 per cent in 2024-2025.
More than 60,000 people have had strokes diagnosed or ruled out since the roll-out of the software last summer.
Strokes result in almost 40,000 deaths a year
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Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the UK, and result in about 38,000 deaths each year.
Shawn Theoff, from Canterbury, said the software had given him a “lifeline”; he received an AI-assisted diagnosis when he had a stroke shortly after returning from holiday.
When Theoff, aged in his fifties, arrived at hospital for treatment, he was taken for a scan and a stroke was diagnosed. He was able to quickly access treatment at Kent and Canterbury Hospital, where he spent less than 48 hours before he returned home.
Theoff said: “I can’t thank the staff enough and I really feel that the speed of treatment I received has helped with my recovery. I was up and walking about in the ward really quickly and I feel so lucky — I could’ve had serious issues.
“The treatment I got has given me a lifeline and I’m so thankful for that.”