Oxford-based Ufonia, with support from the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst programme, is using AI to automate routine clinical consultations to make health and care accessible to everyone at any time.
The challenge
The UK’s ageing population is growing rapidly, with 26% expected to be aged 65 or over within the next 40 years, placing increasing pressure on the NHS across both primary and secondary care. Routine and follow-up consultations are particularly impacted, as older adults often require ongoing support for chronic conditions and general health management.
The solution
To help address this challenge, Ufonia has developed Dora, a voice-based AI assistant that automates a proportion of patient appointments. Dora engages patients in natural conversation over a standard telephone, making it highly accessible. If clinical input is needed, Dora seamlessly arranges a follow-up with a healthcare professional reducing system strain while maintaining safe, effective care.
The benefits
Using Dora to automate routine clinical conversations over the telephone enables healthcare services to reach thousands of patients in a way that would be impossible through human resources alone. By handling standard appointments efficiently and safely, Dora frees up valuable clinical capacity allowing healthcare professionals to focus their time and expertise on patients with more complex needs, where human care is most critical.
Patients also benefit from receiving a call from Dora instead of attending a clinic in person. This approach eliminates the need to travel saving time, money, and effort, particularly for older adults or those with mobility challenges.
By making routine care more convenient and accessible, Dora enhances patient experience while supporting the wider healthcare system.
Getting in front of patients with Innovate UK support
Innovate UK has been instrumental in accelerating our progress. Through the connections we’ve made, we secured a clinical site to begin deploying our technology, engage directly with patients, and gather invaluable feedback. This real-world insight has been critical in refining Dora transforming it into an increasingly powerful tool for delivering safe, scalable, and patient-centred care.
Dr Aisling Higham, Medical Director at Ufonia