The survey of 2,000 adults found nearly a third (29%) had put off seeing a doctor because of long waits, while more than one in five (22%) admitted avoiding care altogether. Worryingly, one in five (20%) said they had delayed seeking medical advice despite noticing possible cancer symptoms.
Doctors warn such behaviour could mean hundreds of cancers are going undiagnosed or being detected too late, when survival rates are lower. NHS data shows more than a third of melanomas are picked up outside urgent referral pathways, suggesting waiting list delays could be masking further cases.
Growing support for AI solutions
The research also revealed strong public appetite for solutions that could reduce waiting times. Eight in ten (79%) people said they would trust artificial intelligence in medical assessments, and almost three quarters (71%) believed regulated AI could help ease NHS backlogs.
Most respondents (73%) felt the NHS had a duty to deploy proven technologies to improve outcomes. Benefits cited included AI’s lack of fatigue (24%) and cost-effectiveness (21%).
Skin Analytics, the healthtech company behind the study, develops AI-driven tools for skin cancer detection and already works with 27 NHS trusts. Its system, DERM, recently became the first AI authorised to detect cancer without a doctor present, after securing EU MDR Class III certification.
Neil Daly, founder and chief executive of Skin Analytics, said: “The real danger comes not from technology, but from waiting months for answers while cancer can progress. Too many patients are delaying or avoiding care because they don’t think they will be seen. AI can safely reduce that risk, giving patients timely answers and freeing up doctors’ time.”
Patient stories highlight the risks
For some, the consequences of delay have been life-changing. Lynsey Robertson, a GP practice manager, admitted she ignored a mole for years to avoid “wasting a doctor’s time” until AI flagged it as melanoma. “Without it, I might still be waiting or not have gone at all,” she said.
Consultant dermatologist Dr Saleem Taibjee, of Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Skin cancer is now the most common cancer in England, accounting for more than one in five urgent cancer referrals. Many patients are waiting longer than they should, or delaying seeking help. AI can help us triage cases quickly, reduce delays, and ensure patients like Lynsey get the right care at the right time.”
While concerns about AI persist including lack of empathy (27%) and accountability if errors occur (24%) the study found trust rises sharply when systems are endorsed by doctors or shown to outperform human clinicians. More than a third (36%) of respondents said they believe regulated AI will eventually be better at giving medical assessments than doctors.
Daly added: “Concerns are valid, but AI is not about replacing doctors it’s about supporting them. With the right safeguards, technology like this can reduce pressure on stretched NHS services and protect patients from the hidden dangers of delay.”
