medicine
AI brain scanning tool speeds up stroke diagnosis across England
An AI-assisted brain scan tool, championed by NHS clinical director David Hargroves, has helped interpret 60,000 scans and lets more than half of stroke patients recover — a real breakthrough where every minute saves 2 million brain cells.
New tool ‘revolutionising’ stroke treatment, Mexico’s jaguar population surged, and Scotland’s four-day week trial was ‘overwhelmingly positive’, plus more good news
New tool ‘revolutionising’ stroke treatment, Mexico’s jaguar population surged, and Scotland’s four-day week trial was ‘overwhelmingly positive’, plus more good news
An AI-assisted brain scanning tool has been shown to rapidly speed up stroke diagnosis, enabling more than half of patients to recover. That ’ s according to England’s National Health Service, which is rolling out the tool nationwide having used it to interpret more than 60,000 brain scans already. Where deployed , it has enabled doctors to make faster decisions about treatment, the NHS said. Speedy diagnosis and treatment is critical: it’s estimated that someone who has had a stroke loses around 2m brain cells per minute. David Hargroves, NHS England’s national clinical director for stroke, said that the “technology is revolutionising how we help people who have been affected”. Image: Accuray
An AI-assisted brain scanning tool has been shown to rapidly speed up stroke diagnosis, enabling more than half of patients to recover.
That ’ s according to England’s National Health Service, which is rolling out the tool nationwide having used it to interpret more than 60,000 brain scans already. Where deployed , it has enabled doctors to make faster decisions about treatment, the NHS said.
Speedy diagnosis and treatment is critical: it’s estimated that someone who has had a stroke loses around 2m brain cells per minute.
David Hargroves, NHS England’s national clinical director for stroke, said that the “technology is revolutionising how we help people who have been affected”.
Families of patients at all acute hospitals in England can now seek a second opinion if they’re concerned about the care their relatives are receiving, after Martha’s Rule was rolled out nationwide. The patient safety scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died of sepsis in 2021, aged 13. Her mother Merope campaigned for patients and their loved ones to be given the right to request an urgent review of their care, after her concerns were ignored. The National Health Service said that between September 2024 and June 2025, 4,906 calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines at hospitals trialling the scheme, leading to 241 “potentially life-saving interventions”. This week, it announced that it had been rolled out across England. “Families often know their loved ones better than anyone – they can spot when something isn’t right in ways that even experienced doctors might miss,” said Dr Ronny Cheung, consultant general paediatrician at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. “I’ve had Martha’s Rule invoked under my care, and while it can feel challenging initially, it’s ultimately about creating a culture where everyone… has a voice to raise concerns. This can only make the care we provide better.” Image: Akram Huseyn
Families of patients at all acute hospitals in England can now seek a second opinion if they’re concerned about the care their relatives are receiving, after Martha’s Rule was rolled out nationwide.
The patient safety scheme is named after Martha Mills, who died of sepsis in 2021, aged 13. Her mother Merope campaigned for patients and their loved ones to be given the right to request an urgent review of their care, after her concerns were ignored.
The National Health Service said that between September 2024 and June 2025, 4,906 calls were made to Martha’s Rule helplines at hospitals trialling the scheme, leading to 241 “potentially life-saving interventions”. This week, it announced that it had been rolled out across England.
“Families often know their loved ones better than anyone – they can spot when something isn’t right in ways that even experienced doctors might miss,” said Dr Ronny Cheung, consultant general paediatrician at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.