Under the plans, 30 testing sites across the country will be enhanced with the latest digital AI technologies, ready to invite women already booked in for routine screenings on the NHS to take part.

The technology will assist radiologists, screening patients to identify changes in breast tissue that show possible signs of cancer and referred for further investigations if required.

Currently two specialists are needed per mammogram screening, but this technology will enable just one to complete the same mammogram screening process safely and efficiently.

The EDITH trial is backed by £11m of government support via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Prof Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at the DHSC and chief executive of the NIHR, said: ‘This landmark trial could lead to a significant step forward in the early detection of breast cancer, offering women faster, more accurate diagnoses when it matters most. 

‘It is another example of how NIHR research, shaped and funded by the public, is crucial for rigorously testing world-leading new technologies, such as AI, that can potentially save lives while reducing the burden on the NHS.'