Peterborough City Council has harnessed 35 years of employee wisdom into an AI assistant named “Hey Geraldine”, designed to support staff in adult social care.
Geraldine Jinks is a therapy practitioner and after decades of experience she became the most significant go-to resource for colleagues seeking advice. Answering multiple and repetitive inquiries from the fellows grew her workload overwhelmingly.
Recognizing the demand, the council developed an AI chatbot infused with her knowledge that also mimicked her signature conversational style.
Sharing her views, Ms. Jinks said: “Staff can now ask me questions whenever they want and get an instant reply. Some even thought they were chatting with me—probably because I wrote all the answers!”
The chatbot responds to all possible practice-based queries by offering solutions, resources, and links.
Officials 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?”
Such an AI-assistant aims to streamline hospital discharges, reducing delays that strain both patient well-being and NHS finances.
The council’s cabinet member for adults and health, Dr. Shabina Qayyum (a practicing GP) praising the initiative said: “I know how incredibly frustrating it can be for patients who are delayed in returning to their home after a stay in hospital. Delays also have an impact on the finances of both the NHS and local authorities."
She further 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.”
For Peterborough’s workforce, Hey Geraldine isn’t just a bot, it’s a legacy of expertise that will be available 24/7.