Survey: AI in healthcare moves from hype to habit

A fresh report titled AI with Purpose Insights from 300 Voices Shaping the Future of Health and Social Care paints a picture of a sector on the brink of major transformation. Almost everyone surveyed said the same thing in one way or another. Artificial intelligence is not just coming. It is welcome. Ninety-three percent of healthcare professionals believe AI will help them deliver better care. That is not cautious optimism. That is confidence.

Clinicians, digital leads, and transformation teams from across health and social care took part in this research, and their message rings true. AI, when designed with purpose, can streamline the work that slows us down and improve the quality of care patients receive.

How does it work?

System C's approach puts AI at the clinician's shoulder rather than in front of them. Their CareFlow Ambient AI Consultations sit inside the CareFlow EPR so clinicians can document faster, reduce admin, and free more time for actual care. The report shows:

• 86% say AI is most valuable when it removes repetitive chores like documentation and referrals
• 89% say integration with existing systems is important, and 79% say it is critical

That is the heart of it. When AI is silently woven into clinical workflows, it no longer feels experimental. It becomes useful. As pharmacy IT system manager Keyur Jani put it, AI can work silently behind the scenes, identifying patterns and streamlining processes that are currently resource-intensive and prone to human error. No wizardry. Just practical help that makes a clinician's day run more smoothly.

Why does it matter?

Time is the most precious currency inside a hospital. AI gives some of that back. The report shows a profession hungry to focus less on forms and more on people. With better documentation, safer decision support, and smoother referrals, clinicians can do what they entered healthcare to do. Look someone in the eye. Listen. Treat. By improving the experience for both staff and patients, AI could lift outcomes right across the sector.

Dr Jon Shaw from System C makes an important point. AI tools that touch clinical workflows are increasingly treated as medical devices and must undergo proper validation and safety checks. This is essential for building trust. In other words, hope alone is not enough. Rigour matters. Governance matters. This is how AI can become part of the NHS safely, with public confidence intact.

The context

System C carried out this survey during September and October 2025, collecting responses from nearly 300 professionals in health, social care, and education. The fieldwork reflects a moment when the NHS is stretched, demand is rising, and digital transformation is now mission-critical rather than optional. AI sits in the middle of that tension. It is not a magic cure, but it is a powerful lever.

This report does not claim to have solved everything. It simply surfaces the voices of those who know the sector best. And those voices are remarkably aligned. With thoughtful integration, ethical design, and safe deployment, AI could reshape how care is delivered across the country, not by replacing people - but by returning them to the heart of care where they belong.