Computers will soon outperform even the best doctors at diagnosing illnesses, because of the rapid growth of processing power, a government technology adviser has said.

Richard Susskind, an Oxford professor who has advised governments around the world, said that in the coming years, patients would be able to take pictures of their ailments and receive an accurate, computer-generated diagnosis.

The technology expert, who is the official IT adviser to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, also said new coding lessons, which have been added to the national curriculum for children as young as five, were a waste of time.