We’re told that Google’s Deep Mind can identify a problem before it kills people. That’s good, that’s nice. But now read the story the other way around. Currently the NHS kills 30,000 people a year through simple incompetence. Not such a good story now, is it?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Artificial intelligence designed by Google’s DeepMind can now predict deadly kidney injury two days before it happens, in a breakthrough which could save the lives of 30,000 NHS patients each year. Around 100,000 people in Britain die from Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) annually which occurs when the organs suddenly stop functioning, creating a build up of waste in the blood and eventually death. [/perfectpullquote]That is good, no doubt about it. So, what’s the cause of this problem?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]It often occurs through dehydration in hospital patients, but until now has been difficult to predict.[/perfectpullquote]That simple, eh?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Previous NHS research has suggested that around 30 per cent of cases of kidney failure deaths are preventable if caught early, so the algorithm could prevent 30,000 deaths in Britain each year.[/perfectpullquote]It’s a big problem.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]As long as it’s caught early, treating acute kidney injury is simple, often requiring just fluids to combat dehydration. Preventing patients from ending up in intensive care with kidney failure could save the NHS around £1 billion a year, the researchers estimate.[/perfectpullquote]Again, read this the other way around. That means that the NHS kills 30,000 people a year simply by not giving them a drink of water now and again. Such great nursing care, eh?
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Around £1 billion a year! All for a glass of water…a ha’porth of tar.
Error in title. The NHS kills at least 30k per year - these deaths are from a single error.
Patients are a cost to the NHS which has a fixed budget, they are not a revenue source. Early deaths reduce cost, so why would the NHS not want to reduce its costs?
Until the faithful recognise this simple fact, they will go on worshipping their god protecting it from any heresy or anathema.
Correction:-
‘Preventing patients from ending up in intensive care with kidney failure could COST the NHS around £1 billion a year, the researchers estimate.’
IIRC, Sir Humphrey was of the opinion that the NHS would be far more efficient if it didn't have to deal with patients