East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) is using AI technology to scan thousands of x-rays to detect fractures.

The technology, called Boneview, aims to help staff identify fractures early and prioritise patients who have had a fracture detected by the technology that may be missed by the naked eye.

Dr James Hathorn, consultant radiologist at ESNEFT, said: ‘Hundreds of x-rays are taken each week of patients who have suffered trauma and may have broken a bone. Every single x-ray will continue to be reviewed by a clinician in A&E and a radiologist or radiographer.

'This AI will help the doctors in A&E 24 hours a day and we will look at whether the technology can speed up the process – prioritising those patients likely to have had a fracture. We hope this will be particularly beneficial, for example, when a patient x-ray is being viewed by a doctor and their x-ray may not be reviewed by radiology for some time.'

The technology will be running at Ipswich Hospital, Colchester Hospital and the Urgent Treatment Centre at Clacton Hospital, and has been supported by the trust's innovation team.

Boneview is a product developed and owned by a company called Gleamer and will be used at ESNEFT hospitals until June 2025.