A mixed methods formative evaluation of the NHS Artificial Intelligence Lab
Research seminar led by professor Kathrin Creswell, University of Edinburgh, UK. Internationally, health systems are investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve safety, quality, and efficiency, yet many efforts remain localised and do not progress beyond early development stages.
You can watch this seminar online. Click here to attend the seminar digitally.
In 2019, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care launched the NHS AI Lab to accelerate safe AI adoption. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the AI Lab, analysing 1021 documents and 85 stakeholder interviews. The AI Lab made important contributions to national AI policy, regulation, and capability building, and positioned the UK as a global leader in AI deployment for health. Despite progress, implementation and scaling were hindered by shifting objectives, limited capacity, and systemic misalignment with service needs. Some AI technologies demonstrated high return on investment and improved clinical processes. Lessons from the AI Lab highlight critical socio-organisational factors, gaps in scaling support, and the need for sustained coordination to realise the long-term benefits of AI in health and social care systems.
About professor Kathrin Cresswell
Kathrin Cresswell (KC) is a social scientist with extensive experience of conducting process evaluations of digitally enabled change and improvement programmes in health and care. She has conducted formative evaluations of the NHS Care Record Service as part of the National Programme for IT, the Global Digital Exemplar Programme, and the NHS Artificial Intelligence Lab. She has over 100 peer-reviewed publications in international academic journals and almost £56 million research grant funding. She is currently Professor of Digital Innovations in Health and Care at the Usher Institute at The University of Edinburgh, and co-chair of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and European Federation of Medical Informatics Evaluation Working Groups. She is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics and a Member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety.
