AI training for GWH doctors

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using innovative AI training technology to support the education and development of future doctors.

Medical students are now being offered training that creates a virtual hospital of patients, allowing them to practise and refine their communication and clinical decision-making skills in a safe, realistic and supportive environment.

Many trusts are currently experimenting with AI to see how it can benefit patients and staff. We are the first Trust in the country to use this particular type of AI training technology, called SimFlow.ai.

This training is used in addition to traditional teaching methods and clinical placements.

The AI patients have lifelike personalities and realistic clinical scenarios, helping to prepare students for a wide range of real-life situations they will encounter in practice, while building confidence before engaging with patients.

This approach has been researched by Dr Chris Jacobs, Undergraduate Tutor, and colleagues, with findings into its effectiveness recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research and the Cureus Journal.

Over 90 per cent of students find it a useful tool with high realism experienced and, in one study, 100 per cent of students felt psychologically safe using this new technology.

Since Spring 2025, the technology has been used to support learning across a number of areas, including surgery, ophthalmology, safeguarding, and paediatrics. It also supports students to practise challenging conversations, such as breaking bad news, vaccine hesitancy and discussions around consent.

Chris Jacobs said: “This is an excellent use of AI as a safe tool for practicing communication skills, which is critical in us training the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“What we really want is competent communication within the NHS. It has a large cost, not just for patients’ health, but also for the NHS when communication errors occur. If we can create more competent communicators, we’ll hopefully have happier patients and happier doctors.”

This innovative work underlines the importance of adopting digital technologies to improve patient and staff experience, as well as service outcomes.

Click here to watch the training in action.