One in four UK patients using AI and social media for health info

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised that AI chatbots should not replace advice from healthcare professionals after research found one in four UK patients are turning to AI and social media for health guidance.

Semble, a startup that provides a provide a private healthcare platform, surveyed 2,000 UK patients reflecting a range of backgrounds, ages and health needs in August 2025.

The research found that 24% of patients use social media and AI tools such as ChatGPT or Instagram for health guidance, and 30% would be willing to consult AI or social media rather than wait to see a clinician.

Gen Z are among the most active adopters, with 34% of 16-25-year-olds turning to ChatGPT and 30% using TikTok.

Responding to the results, Dr Ed Middleton, director of strategy at the MHRA, said that the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, which launched in September 2025, will ensure that technologies used in healthcare are “evidence-based, transparent and properly regulated”.

“The 10 year health plan set the ambition to make the NHS the most AI-enabled health system in the world.

“The work of the commission will help make sure that innovation is matched with the right safeguards, so that the public, clinicians and innovators can have confidence in how AI is adopted across the system.

“And, while chatbots like ChatGPT can be helpful for general information, they should not replace advice from a healthcare professional,” he said.

Penny Kechagioglou, chief clinical information officer (CCIO) at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and chair of the Digital Health Networks CCIO Advisory Panel, said that the survey results are “unsurprising” and clinicians need to work with patients to understand how digital and AI can support them.

“The safe adoption of the right AI tools will satisfy patient curiosity and sense of control, support clinicians with their workload and re-build trust between patients and clinicians,” she said.

The survey also found that 38% of patients surveyed felt uncomfortable mentioning information found online to their healthcare provider.

Christopher Lippuner, co-founder and chief executive of Semble, said that patients are drawn to these tools “out of convenience or anxiety”.

“The question is no longer whether patients will use AI, but how we can make that use safe, ensuring they understand the limits and feel supported to bring any insights into informed conversations with clinicians,” he said.

Rachel Power, chief executive at the Patients Association, told Digital Health News that patients are turning to AI for “timely information in a system under real pressure” and that the NHS must “meet them where they are”.

“It’s crucial that patients aren’t dismissed for doing their own research but are recognised as equal partners in their care. At the same time, there are real concerns about the safety and reliability of health information online.

“To address this, we need to increase health literacy, strengthen the regulation of false or misleading content, and support the trusted relationships with health professionals that are at the heart of good care,” Power said.