AI reduces A&E delays and increases support for healthcare workers

Hospitals use AI to improve planning and tackle bottlenecks in A&E departments as government future-proofs the NHS
Predictive tool used by 50 NHS organizations to reduce patient treatment times
The latest milestone in the Prime Minister's AI Exemplars programme. Leverage AI to improve lives and modernize services across health, justice, tax, and planning.

Patients could be seen more quickly this winter as hospitals across England increasingly use artificial intelligence to predict when emergency departments will be busiest.

A&E demand forecasting tools highlight how governments are leveraging cutting-edge emerging technologies to modernize public services and drive national regeneration. The feature, which is available to all NHS Trusts, is already used by 50 NHS organizations to help plan the number of people who may need emergency care or treatment on any given day.

For NHS staff, this means smarter planning of long-term shifts and bed space, reducing last-minute pressures thanks to clear forecasting that identifies potential bottlenecks. For patients, the net result is shorter wait times during busy periods and faster access to the care they need.

While record cases of influenza have already put added pressure on emergency departments this winter, festive challenges such as ice falls and other seasonal illnesses typically add to this pressure at Christmas.

More than 18 million influenza vaccines were delivered this fall, hundreds of thousands more than at the same time last year. Because the tool is constantly trained on seasonal medical data, it can help spot spikes in demand for medical services in advance, giving hospitals the opportunity to deploy staff to the right place at the right time.

The tool uses this data to highlight periodic pinch points where demand may increase throughout the year. This includes a wide range of areas, from Japan Meteorological Agency temperature forecasts and hospital admissions to days of the week that are busier than others. This data generates forecasts for the coming days and weeks that hospitals can use to manage resources more effectively.

It forms part of the Prime Minister's AI Exemplars programme, which uses AI to improve public services, modernize outdated systems and drive the national regeneration that our hard-working people deserve. This makes the services people interact with smarter, more efficient, and relevant for the modern era.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

AI is already improving healthcare by speeding diagnosis and enabling new treatments. Now we're going one step further.

This AI predictive tool helps predict demand, supporting our talented NHS staff and ensuring patients get the care they need faster.

This means relieving pressure by ensuring the NHS is at the forefront of the latest technology during the busiest time of the year.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, Minister of Health Innovation, said:

The AI revolution is here, providing NHS staff with the latest technology to help reduce A&E waiting times for patients during this busy winter period.

Innovations like this will help hospitals cope with winter pressures and prioritize resources in the coming months as we continue to battle high waves of influenza.

This is part of our 10-year healthcare plan to move healthcare from analogue to digital as we build a future-fit NHS.

Initial feedback from staff was positive. Hospital administrators praise its effectiveness in helping them make better decisions about staffing and capacity, which allows patients to move through the system more efficiently.

Local NHS organizations using the tool include NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Boards, NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Boards.

The announcement is part of the Government's commitment to build a future-fit NHS by leveraging technology and innovation to improve patient care and outcomes.

The AI Exemplars program has already delivered improvements across the board, including:

Educational Content Store: Pool government documents such as curriculum guidance, lesson plans, and anonymized student assessments to help AI companies train their tools to produce accurate, high-quality content. Content such as customized creative lesson plans and workbooks can be used reliably in schools, freeing teachers from admin and allowing them to spend more time in front of the whiteboard.

AI diagnostics: This provides tools to help clinicians identify conditions such as lung cancer from scans, helping diagnose patients faster and reduce diagnostic backlogs.

AI-assisted discharge summaries: Use AI to help complete documentation for discharge, allowing patients to return home to their families or away from crowded hospital wards more quickly. Clinicians retain final control and approval of content.

GOV.UK Chat: This is an AI-powered chatbot that provides new ways for the public to interact with government. GOV.UK Chat takes a user's question and uses the associated GOV.UK page to instantly generate an answer in the same way that the user would write or speak in everyday life.