Royal Surrey shortlisted for national award | News

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a prestigious national HSJ Digital Award, recognising its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help identify possible lung cancer earlier and more reliably.

The Trust has been shortlisted in the Driving Change through AI and Automation Award category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026, which celebrate outstanding uses of digital technology across the NHS. This year, a record 468 projects were submitted for consideration.

Royal Surrey’s project uses AI to support clinicians reviewing chest X-rays for patients who present with worrying symptoms, either in the Emergency Department or following referral from their GP. The technology helps to quickly highlight X-rays that may show signs of serious illness, including lung cancer, allowing these cases to be prioritised for urgent review.

This approach means patients who need further investigation are identified sooner and can receive follow-up procedures, such as CT scans, much faster. As a result many patients now receive these additional tests on the same day.

Mike Jones, Radiology AI and Digital Lead and Advanced Practitioner Radiographer at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re really proud to be shortlisted for this award, which recognises the huge effort from teams across the trust to improve how we diagnose lung cancer. By using AI to support clinical decision-making, we’re able to identify urgent cases more quickly and make sure patients with serious conditions are reviewed without delay. It’s helping us deliver faster care while supporting staff in a very busy service.”

The HSJ Digital Awards bring together NHS organisations from across the country to recognise projects that use technology to improve patient care. Winners will be announced on 19 May 2026.