Google AI search results and the health sector

Google’s 2024 launch of its AI search results panel has not only impacted traffic to support lines and health content across the sector, but there are concerns that this zero-click approach poses a risk to health outcomes. 70 organisations from across the health sector attended a virtual roundtable in March 2025, hosted by Marie Curie and the Patient Information Forum (PIF). These included NHS organisations and a host of national charities who share these concerns and have collaborated on this list of identified risks.

The resulting report assesses the impact of Google AI search results on the health sector and highlights key concerns.

Working together

Google is a trusted source for access to health information. Research by Ipsos for PIF found half of people use Google to search for health information, a similar number to the NHS website. AI summaries present a risk to this position of trust. We want to work with Google to identify trusted sources of UK information, improve localisation of summaries and onward signposting. We believe AI can support better health outcomes and we make a series of recommendations including:

• Suspending AI summaries on health topics in the UK until accuracy and safety issues are resolved.
• Agreeing a framework for the verification of trusted health information in the UK.
• Ensuring results prioritise verified UK-based sources.
• Ensuring critical health queries are routed to NHS-approved content.
• Providing clearly visible context and support options at every stage.
• Introducing explicit warnings that AI summaries on health topics may not be accurate and should not be taken as authoritative or regulated advice.
• Providing directions in health searches for how to seek a healthcare professional.

Authors

The report has been compiled by Marie Curie, the Patient Information Forum and Macmillan Cancer Support. Additional content has been provided by BUPA, British Liver Trust, The Lullaby Trust, Melanoma Focus, Migraine Trust, MIND, Pancreatic Cancer UK and MS Society, with input from nearly 70 organisations from across the health sector.

Download full the report via the link below.