AI speeds up lung cancer detection in north east London

North East London Cancer Alliance is reporting early success from its partnership with Qure.ai, following the rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) delivered through Sectra Amplifier Services to support lung cancer diagnosis across the region.

The introduction of Qure.ai’s chest X-ray tool, qXR, is delivering faster reporting and greater accuracy in identifying critical cases. At Barts Health, turnaround times for the most urgent chest X-rays have improved by 61.5%, reduced from 13 days to 5. Reporting times for urgent cancer cases have improved by 41.7%, dropping from 12 days to 7. The Alliance is now working towards a consistent <3-day turnaround for all chest X-ray reports.

The improvements come at a time when radiology services are under sustained pressure. Across north east London, demand for chest X-rays rose by 94% between 2017 and 2022, increasing from 139,080 requests to around 270,000. At the same time, a 29% national shortfall in radiologists has placed significant strain on services, with some patients waiting up to 21 days for results.

Wayne Douglas (pictured below), Programme Lead for Diagnosis and Treatment at North East London Cancer Alliance, said: “The early results from using AI in chest X-rays are encouraging. By embedding AI into our lung cancer pathway, we are beginning to reduce reporting delays, improve prioritisation, and provide greater assurance for patients and clinicians. This work is an important step in strengthening diagnostic capacity across North East London.”

Clinical teams across participating Trusts have provided positive feedback, with training underway to ensure junior doctors and radiographers are able to use the AI effectively.

The success to date reflects collaboration across the Alliance and its partners. Established in 2020 under NHS England’s Cancer Alliance programme, North East London Cancer Alliance works with providers, commissioners and community partners across eight boroughs, serving a population of 3 million through Barts Health NHS Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Bhargava Reddy, Chief Business Officer, Oncology at Qure.ai said: “These early results show how AI can play a supportive role in diagnostic pathways. Working with North East London Cancer Alliance and Sectra, we are seeing measurable improvements in reporting times and greater confidence in identifying urgent cases.”

A two-year evaluation is underway, with early findings already shared with NHS England. The programme will continue to track wider impacts, including time to CT and time to diagnosis, with future plans to extend AI integration into CT scanning.

For more information about Qure.ai visit their website: https://www.qure.ai/