Health Secretary Matt Hancock is full of smiles and fresh-faced at 8am, ready to discuss the health service he oversees before he has to dash off to key Cabinet talks.

Wearing his NHS badge set in an LGBTQ flag, and a crisp navy-blue suit, he brims with optimism and determination as he talks about the future of the NHS — which, he says, is digital.

“There’s big pressure on the NHS now. With an ageing population and increasing demands, the expectations for the NHS keep on rising.

“The first thing we’ve got to do is make sure that the basic data and infrastructure for the NHS is so much better. But there is enormous excitement for the long term — if we get those underpinnings right — to use AI and genomics and the increasing amount of data about how people live their lives to learn how people can stay healthier for longer and then also be treated better when they become ill.”

He nods to the project carried out by Moorfields Eye Hospital in association with Google DeepMind for its work in detecting macular degeneration from patient scan results (OCT imaging). The project fed one million eye scans into a computer to teach it how to spot the early signs of the condition.

The Health Secretary emphasises diagnosis in particular as a key area in which AI can make a difference, by spotting conditions as early as possible to increase the chance of a patient surviving a chronic illness, citing sepsis in particular.

It’s simple; early diagnosis is better for the patient and the NHS.

“Spotting sepsis is one of the most difficult things to do early and the urgency is critical to whether people survive.

“Researchers at Imperial College London have created AI systems to identify patients with sepsis.”

But, he notes, these AI systems will not ‘replace’ clinicians.

“What matters is the interaction between the technology and the clinician. In sepsis, AI puts up a flag to say there is a sepsis risk. Ultimately, the clinician can make the judgement but it’s hugely augmented by AI.

“AI can augment the human factor. It will never replace it. Throughout the ages technology has enabled people to perform better in their jobs and it is just as true now. If technology can remove some of the labour-intensive tasks where the computer can do better than the human eye; that helps.

“But nothing can replace the doctor-patient relationship.”

And, he emphasises the value of clinicians. After his sister was in a horse-riding accident last year, he visited Southmead Hospital where she had been treated, to thank staff for treating her. His chirpy tone drops as he recalls the days she spend in intensive care.

“She very nearly died last year. She had a very serious accident and was in a coma for four days. She was riding at Badminton Horse Trials – she was a very serious eventer – and she fell off a fence. The ground was very hard and she went headfirst, straight into the ground, 6ft above the top of a jump.”

He describes that hospital visit to thank the staff as “one of the best things I’ve done since taking the job.”

It’s hard not to like this Cabinet Minister, his enthusiasm is irrepressible and his own experience of the NHS gives him admirable credibility.

Hancock has always been an outspoken supporter of technology, which has not been without controversy. On his phone, his many apps include GP at Hand, created by Babylon, the healthcare company which partners theFuture London Health project. This led to criticism that he was endorsing an app that may encourage people to leave their own GP practice, causing GP practices to lose money, while others suggested the service was “cherry-picking” younger, more tech-savvy patients.

“I’ve become known for using this GP at Hand app,” he chuckles. He is also happy to talk about his health apps curious about all technology that can make a difference.

Hancock insists the GP app is a force for good within the NHS: “Serving some people more efficiently allows more resources for the people who don’t want to use the technology. We should embrace technology that helps patient outcomes.”

Here are some of Matt's apps

Click on the apps to find out more

The Department of Health says the funding concerns surrounding the app and others like it will be discussed at the annual GP contract negotiations, but could not comment further.

With technology on the horizon for a health service to which we cherish so dearly, there are some understandable questions that need to be answered. For example, will the incorporation of technology in UK healthcare provide an opportunity for private companies to profit from?

“I am completely against the privatisation of the NHS,” he says, insisting our health service is safe in his hands. He is passionate about that and says free at the point of delivery is key.

It’s hard to argue that government plans to implement AI — which involves the collection of data on a large scale — in the NHS will be met with some scepticism. For many it will invoke memories of the care.data programme, which was abandoned in 2016, three years after it was launched, costing the taxpayer millions of pounds. One of the reasons for its abandonment was that one million people had opted out of sharing their data.

The Health Secretary says patients’ concerns about the use of their data are understandable, and insists there are more safeguards than ever in place to keep data secure. The Department of Health has set out a new code of conduct that encourages companies to meet a “gold standard” set of principles when dealing with data.

While the government pushes a positive outlook for the future of the NHS with the help of AI, today’s healthcare system is under increasing pressure and scrutiny as its capacity is pushed to the limits. In October, the NHS warned its hospitals were set for an even harder winter than last year, during which time A&E bosses warned of patients being treated in corridors due to lack of space.

So could technology start to fix these immediate problems? “I’ve had people say to me: ‘It’s all very well and good you’re interested in technology but we need more nurses,’” Hancock says. But he insists AI can help here too, suggesting technology can “help cut waste and improve patient experience.” A spokesman for the Department of Health explains systems that can speed up early diagnoses will help improve the patient experience by freeing up the time of clinicians, which will hopefully encourage more doctor-patient contact time.

The Government has promised an extra £20 billion for the NHS over the next five years, which will come into effect in 2019. “That money has to come alongside how to use the best possible technology,” the Health Secretary says. “Why would you not use the best technology to deliver for your patients?”