Problem
North East Lincolnshire faces significant health inequalities, particularly in cancer incidence and outcomes. Approximately 40% of neighbourhoods in the area rank among the most deprived 20% nationally, leading to higher rates of cancer, especially lung and bowel cancers, closely linked to socioeconomic factors such as smoking, diet, and limited access to healthcare services. Screening uptake is notably low; for example, breast cancer screening coverage was just 61% in 2021, a decline from previous years and below pre-pandemic levels. These disparities are compounded by barriers like limited transportation, childcare responsibilities, and the complexity of navigating healthcare information systems. Many patients, carers, and even frontline practitioners struggle to access clear, trusted information about cancer pathways, screening, and support services. Language barriers and low health literacy further exacerbate the problem, leaving vulnerable groups at greater risk and putting additional pressure on already stretched healthcare resources.
Solution
To address these challenges, the Cancer Support Navigator project was launched, led by the Care Plus Group. The project aims to deliver a co-designed AI-powered assistant for patients, carers, and professionals in North East Lincolnshire. The project followed a phased approach, beginning with the gathering of relevant cancer screening documentation. Through co-design workshops with healthcare professionals, community members, and voluntary sector partners, the team developed detailed design specifications to ensure the assistant would meet their real-world needs.
The AI assistant was designed to provide accessible, plain-language explanations of screening procedures and support services, tailored to individual needs and literacy levels. Multilingual support was incorporated to cater to the area’s diverse population, and the tool was made available 24/7 to reduce reliance on in-person consultations for basic enquiries.
The assistant was also built to empower frontline staff, such as social prescribers and community health workers, by providing them with a reliable tool to be able to provide answers to patient queries quickly and accurately. The project included robust testing, iterative improvements based on user feedback, and a focus on scalability so the solution could be expanded to other councils or integrated with NHS and council websites.
Outcome
Initial feedback from practitioners has been extremely positive. A huge amount of information can now be accessed quickly, easily and accurately using natural language querying in multiple languages for inputs and outputs. A great deal of time and effort has gone into ensuring responses are correct and the tool is seen to be trustworthy, for obvious reasons. The year-long project is still ongoing, with the final evaluation with lessons learned and best practices is due in late 2026.