Appian Survey Shows NHS Tops AI Trust at 63% but Only 6% Ready
Appian's survey of 2,000 UK respondents found the NHS leads public trust in AI use at 63%, the only public body with net trust over 50%, outpacing banks (55%) and retailers (60%). However, only 6% of NHS organisations report full AI readiness, highlighting a process automation opportunity for Appian's platform.
1. Survey Findings: NHS Leads AI Trust
Appian’s 2026 UK Public Sector AI Adoption Outlook polled 1,000 citizens and 1,000 public sector workers, revealing that 63% of citizens trust the NHS to use AI responsibly—the only public sector body with net trust above 50%—surpassing banks (55%), retailers (60%) and technology firms (54%).
2. Readiness Gap in NHS AI Adoption
Despite strong trust, only 6% of NHS respondents describe their organisation as fully able to leverage AI, while a majority of both workers (55%) and citizens (56%) say fixing basic processes should take priority over new AI implementations, indicating a significant delivery gap.
3. Opportunity for Appian’s Platform
The disparity between high public trust and low organisational readiness creates a clear demand for Appian’s process automation platform to embed AI within core workflows, establish guardrails and deliver measurable improvements in patient journeys and operational efficiency.