World Aug 20, 2026 · 1 min read

Frustrated GP patients hang up as Yorkshire accent baffles AI receptionist

‘Emma’ the Rotherham chatbot has 17 languages says AI firm – but health watchdog says system struggling with local ‘twangs’Patients in a South Yorkshire town are frustrated by an AI GP receptionist not understanding their “broad accents”, a health watchdog has said.Healthwatch Rotherham, a local hea...

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The Guardian
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent
Frustrated GP patients hang up as Yorkshire accent baffles AI receptionist

‘Emma’ the Rotherham chatbot has 17 languages says AI firm – but health watchdog says system struggling with local ‘twangs’

Patients in a South Yorkshire town are frustrated by an AI GP receptionist not understanding their “broad accents”, a health watchdog has said.

Healthwatch Rotherham, a local health and social care watchdog, said a number of practices in the area had introduced a new AI receptionist called Emma.

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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Mark Brown North of England correspondent.

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