“Hey Geraldine”: UK council turns 35-year care expert into AI chatbot to speed hospital discharge

Peterborough City Council has transformed the 35-year expertise of therapy practitioner Geraldine Jinks into an AI chatbot called “Hey Geraldine” to help adult social care staff access her knowledge instantly. The innovative solution addresses the challenge of Jinks being overwhelmed with daily questions from colleagues while aiming to speed up hospital discharge processes and improve patient care efficiency.

How it works: The AI chatbot replicates Jinks’ conversational style and expertise to provide immediate responses to practice-based questions.

• Staff can ask contextual questions like “I am working with a person who is forgetting to turn the oven off. What is available to help them?” and receive comprehensive answers with solutions and resource links.
• Jinks worked directly with the development team to feed information into the AI tool, ensuring it responds in her “usual chatty and direct manner.”
• Some staff members have reported they thought they were actually chatting with Jinks herself, demonstrating the chatbot’s authentic replication of her communication style.

Why this matters: The tool addresses a critical bottleneck in adult social care services where experienced practitioners become overwhelmed with routine inquiries.

• Hospital discharge delays create significant financial impacts for both the NHS and local authorities, making faster care coordination essential.
• The technology enables quicker deployment of assistive technologies like smart devices and home activity sensors that help patients regain independence.

What they’re saying: Jinks expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating: “It was so exciting to develop this chatbot. Staff can now ask me questions whenever they want and receive a reply straightaway.”

• Cabinet member Shabina Qayyum, who also works as a GP, emphasized the patient impact: “I know how incredibly frustrating it can be for patients who are delayed in returning to their home after a stay in hospital.”
• “The Hey Geraldine chatbot helps staff to put these technologies in place with all the knowledge and care that Geraldine herself would use,” Qayyum added.

Key details: The council began developing the AI tool in 2023, recognizing that Jinks’ manager identified the time pressure created by constant colleague inquiries despite her willingness to help.