NHS staff in the North West will be among the first to use AI to improve patient services

NHS staff in the North West will be among the first trained to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the services patients rely on, through a new apprenticeship programme.

The CLEAR Apprenticeship Programme is a Level 4 Business Analyst apprenticeship, with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust one of the early adopters, with around 20 of its own staff being trained. Other NHS trusts across the North West are also being invited to join the first cohort, which starts in February 2027.

Unlike most apprenticeships, the programme is built around a live service improvement. Working as a team, apprentices run a clinical audit on a service their trust chooses, using an AI-driven approach called CLEAR Intelligence. It analyses free-text clinical records, such as letters and reports, at scale alongside coded data. This reveals patterns that dashboards alone cannot show. The audit is supervised by the CLEAR team and carried out through each trust’s information governance processes.

Apprentices then turn the findings into an implementation proposal, complete with options, costs and a benefits plan. Each trust finishes with two outcomes from the same piece of work: a team of qualified staff trained in the effective use of AI, and a practical plan to improve a service.

The programme is funded through each trust’s existing Growth and Skills Levy, so no new money is needed.

Tony McDonald, Chief Integration Officer at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “As host of the National CLEAR Programme, East Lancashire is pleased to be part of the first cohort. We want our staff to be confident and safe in using AI, and we want that learning to make a practical difference to our services. This programme does both. Apprentices will gain a recognised qualification and the skills to use AI effectively, and they will develop an AI-driven service improvement the trust can take forward. We would encourage other trusts in the North West to join us.”

Dr John Jeans, National Lead, The CLEAR Programme and NHS Consultant Anaesthetist said: “Building AI capability in the NHS workforce is no longer optional. Trusts need staff who can use AI safely and well, and who can turn what it reveals into better care. This programme develops exactly that, on real services and real data, so the learning delivers a service improvement as well as a qualification. And because it is funded through the levy trusts already pay, there is no new money needed to start.”