BBC political reporter, Peterborough
Peterborough City CouncilThe knowledge of an experienced council worker has been turned into an AI chatbot to help fellow employees.
Geraldine Jinks has worked for Peterborough City Council for 35 years as a therapy practitioner supporting adult social care, and her colleagues often ask her for advice.
The council said she was often inundated with questions and, although she was happy to help, it did put pressure on her time.
Her manager recognised this, and the authority started working on a technological solution, developing a tool called Hey Geraldine.
Ms Jinks worked with the team to feed information to the AI tool so it could answer questions asked on a daily basis in her usual chatty and direct manner.
“It was so exciting to develop this chatbot,” she said.
“Staff can now ask me questions whenever they want and receive a reply straightaway.
“It’s lovely that they’ve kept my name and some staff have told me that they actually thought they were chatting with me – I guess that’s because I’ve written all the answers!”
The council said Hey Geraldine could respond to “contextual and practice-based questions” such as, “I am working with a person who is forgetting to turn the oven off. What is available to help them?”
It would then provide a range of answers and possible solutions and links to resources.
It is hoped the technology will make it easier and quicker to discharge people from hospital.
Shabina Qayyum is the council’s cabinet member for adults and health and also works as a GP.
“I know how incredibly frustrating it can be for patients who are delayed in returning to their home after a stay in hospital,” she said.
Delays also have an impact on the finances of both the NHS and local authorities.
“The use of technology-assisted care like smart devices and home activity sensors can really help people to regain their independence quickly.
“The Hey Geraldine chatbot helps staff to put these technologies in place with all the knowledge and care that Geraldine herself would use.”
