NHS using AI in Buckinghamshire to help reduce hospital admissions this winter

A new scheme using Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being piloted in Buckinghamshire, as the NHS try to get ahead of the busy winter period.

It's one of several schemes currently taking place across the country, in the hope it will help to reduce "avoidable" visits to hospital.

The use of AI will see people's eating and drinking habits tracked, with sensors placed onto items such as kettles and fridges to spot changes.

The AI electrical sensors will then flag and concerns with teams, leading to them reaching out and hopefully to prevent the condition from escalating.

Buckinghamshire is being used to pilot the new scheme, with areas such as Somerset using GP practices highlighting patients with complex needs, to try and increase preventative work to stop people needing to attend hospitals if it can be avoided.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, said: “This suite of tech and data solutions ahead of winter demonstrates how NHS staff across the country are innovating every step of the way, maximising the use of the latest technology and AI to help patients but also significantly reducing the number of avoidable A&E attendances.

“They are identifying the most at-risk or vulnerable patients and wider issues affecting their health, so teams can get to them early and help avoid an unnecessary visit to hospital – not only are these measures better for patients who can be cared for at home where they feel most comfortable but they are good for the NHS too, particularly when we know that this winter is likely to be incredibly challenging.”

The use of AI comes after figures emerged last week that 7.7 million people are on NHS waiting lists in England - the highest since records began in 2007.

Ms Pritchard added: “NHS staff across the country are already feeling the pressure with record demand for A&E and ambulance services – and so these new innovations being rolled out by NHS teams are an extra and welcome addition to our winter toolkit, with more call handlers and more beds already in place.”

In September the Government announced a £200 million “winter resilience” fund, while last month the use of virtual wards – also known as hospitals at home – was expanded to patients with heart failure.

Virtual wards allow patients to remain at home while receiving care from clinical staff, who use apps or wearable technology to monitor them remotely.

Matt Neligan, NHS England’s director of system transformation, said using data across integrated care systems provides the health service with a “much deeper insight into the full range of needs for different population groups and the drivers of health inequalities”.

He added: “We are now seeing the NHS and its partners across the country able to use tools and techniques like AI and a population health management approach to identify people at highest risk of admission and support them before they need hospital treatment.

“We’re increasingly able to find those individuals early and offer targeted, preventative and personalised healthcare.”

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