Council transforms employee expertise into AI chatbot – Health Tech World
Geraldine Jinks, a therapy practitioner at Peterborough City Council, was often asked for advice on care-related queries. After her manager recognised how much time this was taking, the council developed Hey Geraldine – a chatbot trained to respond in her chatty and direct style.
Jinks worked with developers to feed information into the system, enabling it to answer daily questions about care options and available support tools.
Jinks said: “It was so exciting to develop this chatbot.
“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 chatbot responds to practice-based questions, such as what to do if someone keeps forgetting to turn off household appliances, and offers multiple solutions with links to relevant resources.
It’s also intended to support quicker hospital discharges by helping staff find suitable technology to allow people to return home safely.
Shabina Qayyum, the council’s cabinet member for adults and health and a practising GP, said: “I know how incredibly frustrating it can be for patients who are delayed in returning to their home after a stay in hospital.”
She added: “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.”
The system is part of wider efforts to preserve professional knowledge and improve the delivery of adult social care – services that support people who need help with everyday activities due to illness, disability or age.
Other Aspect Health Media Titles
Copyright © 2025 Aspect Health Media Ltd
