The British health service NHS is allied with the Internet giant Amazon. Its voice assistant, Alexa, is expected to provide medical advice on common diseases such as migraine and the flu to reduce costs and help more patients at home. In particular, elderly and blind patients should have access to information verified by the NHS. That’s what the government said today.
Already, millions of people are turning to Alexa and other language assistants on health issues, Health Minister Matt Hancock said. He wanted to make sure they got the very best advice. The offer should be subject to strict privacy regulations for the protection of patients.
For many Britons, the NHS is a valued institution offering services from routine medical visits to life-saving operations. But the health service has been struggling for years with serious funding problems and staff shortages.
