Virtual assistant Bridgit on hand to help carers

An artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot has been rolled out to carers to provide a "one-stop shop" for information and support.

The platform - called Bridgit - is hosted by the Caring Together Charity and can be contacted through its website or via WhatsApp.

It is designed to fit around the lives of carers, who in theory will get instant answers to questions, advice addressed directly to them - and links to relevant organisations.

Nick Thulbourn, Labour cabinet member for regeneration on Peterborough City Council, told a meeting on Tuesday that the rollout of Bridgit showed the authority was "not running away from [technology]" but "running towards it".

Caring Together, which works across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk, said Bridgit was intended to "complement – not replace – the in-person services available in your area".

It said the system drew on "trusted sources from around the UK" including the NHS, Age UK and Carers UK.

The name was inspired by its goal of "bridging gaps" in care support.

Users can click on a combination of issues they would like help with and receive bespoke advice, videos, events and lists of local and national organisations which can provide further support.

It was developed in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council.

Shabina Qayyum, a GP in the city and cabinet member for adults and health, said the rollout of Bridgit was "going very well in terms of the outcomes, uptake and feedback".

The council said local primary care networks and voluntary organisations such as Family Voice were now piloting its use as well.

The council said in meeting documents that the digital AI programme was aimed at increasing the "independence and wellbeing of service users and carers, reducing their reliance on formal care and support".

They say that taking a "holistic and person-centred approach" to meeting needs would "reduce costs, while also being favourable to users".

Council documents also said the number of overdue care reviews in Peterborough had risen.

"We are implementing an AI tool to help with writing up reviews to allow staff more time for review visits," the papers say.

Bridgit, meanwhile, collects data from those who use it, which Caring Together said is encrypted and stored securely through either Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure.

Users can also write notes on how they are doing and track this over time on the platform and as well as listing their conditions and medications for themselves or the people in their care.

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