AI GP receptionist 'can't understand Yorkshire accent'

Patients in Rotherham are struggling with a new artificial intelligence GP receptionist because it cannot understand the Yorkshire accent, according to a health watchdog.

Some surgeries are triaging patients using a nationwide AI system called EMMA to avoid long wait times on the phone.

Healthwatch Rotherham said some patients could not get the system to understand them as it does not respond well to variations in speech such as regional accents or speech impediments.

QuantumLoopAI, the company behind the system, said EMMA was designed to understand a range of dialects and patients can speak to a human at any time.

Healthwatch visited community groups to speak in particular to people who tend to be digitally excluded and might struggle with technology.

Manager Kym Gleeson said: "One of the issues is this system can't always understand what people's inquiry is about due to their broad Yorkshire accent.

"Across South Yorkshire, accents do vary quite a lot. There are different twangs so there's a lot of variation.

"It seems the system isn't always able to understand, so that causes frustration."

Healthwatch said its team had spoken in particular to elderly and veterans groups to inform them they can opt out of the system.

Gleeson said: "Practices use websites to triage but if you prefer to use the telephone it can be hard to navigate this AI system, especially if you're feeling quite vulnerable due to ill health.

"Some of the people said they had ended up going to the surgery in person because they felt using a telephone was no longer a comfortable process for them."

However, she said the EMMA system meant calls were navigated more swiftly.

"In that sense, it is a good system but for some people who don't want to tell AI their details, it is a concern," she added.

QuantumLoopAI said it understood patients' concerns and recognised there can be an adjustment period when new technology is introduced.

A spokesperson said: "EMMA does not make clinical decisions. She is designed and trained to understand a wide range of accents and dialects and supports 17 languages in addition to English.

"Where she is unable to understand or deal with a patient's request the call is transferred to the reception team. No caller is required to continue speaking with EMMA, and anyone can ask to speak to a member of staff at any time.

"EMMA is designed to improve access by answering calls instantly and removing telephone queues."

QuantumLoopAI added that feedback from practices and patients across the country has been "overwhelmingly positive" with more than 90% of patients reporting a positive improvement in service.

Legally, patients can ask for reasonable requirements to help them make an appointment and Healthwatch Rotherham said people should speak to practice managers.

It will pass its feedback to Healthwatch England, which will then report to the Department of Health and Social Care.

The NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Boards, which is responsible for local health service planning, said it was aware practices in South Yorkshire were using AI technology to manage reception services but was unable to say how many.

Anthony Fitzgerald, its executive lead for primary care, added: "We are currently working closely with Healthwatch colleagues to produce some guidance for practices on the use of AI telephone systems. This is an individual GP practice decision, within their contractual requirements."

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