New report finds AI is helping clinicians save time, expand capacity and support decision-making, while significant gaps in training and workplace readiness remain.
- 42% of UK clinicians say AI-enabled tools save them more than 132 hours a year on average
- More than a third (36%) say AI is helping them see more patients, an average of seven additional patients per week
- Nearly half (45%) report improved work-life balance
- 56% use personal AI tools when workplace solutions do not meet their needs
- 74% say AI training is inadequate, inconsistent or unavailable within their organisation
UK healthcare professionals say AI-enabled tools are already helping them save time, expand capacity and support decision-making, but many report that healthcare systems are struggling to keep pace with adoption.
That is according to Philips’ Future Health Index 2026, the largest global survey of its kind, based on perspectives from healthcare professionals and patients across the UK and around the world.
The findings show AI is already delivering measurable impact in frontline care. Clinicians say AI saves them time every week. In fact, 42% reported time savings of at least 132 hours per year on average, or the equivalent of more than three full working weeks. More than a third (36%) say AI is helping them see more patients.
Clinicians saving time are also using it differently: more than half (52%) of them say AI enables more detailed interactions with patients. Overall improvements seen by clinicians include 57% reporting greater confidence in clinical decision-making and nearly half (45%) who say AI has improved their work-life balance.
However, the findings also highlight growing challenges as adoption accelerates. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of clinicians report that AI training is inadequate, inconsistent or unavailable within their organisation. More than half (56%) say they use personal AI tools when workplace solutions do not meet their needs.
Mark Leftwich, Managing Director, Philips UK & Ireland, said:
“These findings come at a critical moment for the NHS. Healthcare teams are facing rising demand, persistent workforce shortages and pressure to reduce waiting lists, while also adapting to one of the most significant technological shifts in decades.”
“What stands out is the pace of change. Clinicians are already using AI to save time, support decision-making and create more capacity for patient care. Healthcare systems are now having to evolve around that reality.”
“AI is not a replacement for clinicians, but it can help give valuable time back to healthcare teams. The challenge now is making sure these benefits can be scaled safely and consistently across the health system. Clinicians are already changing how they work with AI. Healthcare organisations need the infrastructure, training and governance to help turn that momentum into lasting improvements in patient care.”
The report findings suggest the next phase of AI adoption will depend less on access to technology itself, and more on how effectively healthcare organisations support workforce readiness, strengthen governance and embed AI safely into everyday clinical practice.
Dr. Qaiser Malik, Clinical Director of Radiology at MSE NHS Trust, said,
“This is an important piece of work that highlights how AI is beginning to shape the future of healthcare. We need more evidence like this to help the medical community harness technology and navigate an increasingly challenging healthcare landscape.”
“There also needs to be more work around regulation and real-world applications of AI, rather than esoteric solutions that do not make a meaningful difference in practice.”
Download the Philips UK & Ireland Future Health Index 2026 report at www.philips.co.uk/futurehealthindex-2026.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2025 sales of approximately EUR 18 billion and employs approximately 64,300 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.
About the Future Health Index 2026
The Future Health Index is the largest global survey of its kind, analyzing the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients across multiple countries. Based on proprietary quantitative research involving over 2,000 healthcare professionals and more than 20,000 patients across 10 countries, the 2026 edition examines how AI is actively being used across healthcare systems and the value it creates in time regained, expanded capacity, and improvements in care delivery.
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