Half of all people who experience a stroke in England will now recover thanks to an AI scanning system rolled out across all 107 NHS stroke centres.
The software analyses CT brain scans in about a minute, quickly telling doctors if they need to perform emergency surgery or give drugs – and can triple the rate of recovery.
In NHS pilots, the technology cut the average time from hospital arrival to treatment from 140 minutes to 79. Quicker treatment meant the proportion of patients leaving with no or only slight disability – described as functional independence – tripled from 16 per cent to 48 per cent.
The system could transform care for the 80,000 people in England who have a stroke each year.
David Hargroves, NHS national clinical director for stroke, said: “This AI decision support technology is revolutionising how we help people who have been affected by a stroke.
“It is estimated a patient loses around 2m brain cells a minute at the start of a stroke, which is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is so critical.
“AI decision support software provides 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 in England every year.”
The AI system spots patterns in brain scans that human eyes may not detect, reducing uncertainty and delays.
Previously, interpreting such scans required specialists, which could hold up treatment.
The announcement came on the final day of the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid, the world’s largest heart conference.
Meanwhile, at the same event, a study revealed how living on a noisy road can increase the risk of stroke even when pollution is minimal.
The analysis tracked 26,723 Danish men aged 65 to 74 over four decades. It found a 14.9 dB rise in traffic noise – the difference between a quiet sidestreet and a main road – raised stroke risk by 12.4 per cent.
Lead author Dr Stephan Mayntz of Odense university hospital said: “Traffic noise is a significant environmental risk factor for stroke, independently associated with a higher risk even at low levels of air pollution.
“These findings highlight the need to address traffic noise as part of public health interventions to reduce the stroke burden.
“This isn’t about brief loud events; it’s the chronic day-evening-night noise that disrupts sleep and activates stress pathways.”
