A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can predict falls with a 97 per cent accuracy is being rolled out across the NHS, which can prevent as many as 2,000 falls and hospital admissions each day.
Developed by health tech provider Cera, the tool is now being used in more than two million patient home care visits each month. It can monitor health signs to detect signs of deterioration that could lead to a fall, and is also able to alert healthcare staff should they need to step in. It can also automate administrative tasks like visit schedules and creating care plans, freeing up staff time to focus more on caring for patients.
The technology works by allowing carers, family members and healthcare staff to record patients updates on an app which tracks a variety of vital health signs such as blood pressure and temperature, as well as predicting the risk of falls and health risks in the future.
The software is now in use across more than two thirds of NHS integrated care systems, raising as many as 5,000 high-risk cancers a day. This, in turn, has reduced hospitalisations by up to 70 per cent.
As falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people, admitting 2.5 million people per year who have fallen, the software will allow the NHS the both save bed space and money. Falls and fractures make up over four million bed days each year, which cost around £2 billion.
Cera’s AI software will also be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses like COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus, allowing healthcare professionals to escalate the situation to hospital care should it be needed.
Since its successful trial in July 2023, the software is keeping thousands of elderly and vulnerable people safe at home, leading to a reduction of A&E attendances and freeing up hospital beds. Research shows it is saving the NHS over £1 million every day.
Dr Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England said: “This new tool now being used across the country shows how the NHS is harnessing the latest technology, including AI, to not only improve the care patients receive but also to boost efficiency across the NHS by cutting unnecessary admissions and freeing up beds ahead of next winter, helping hospitals to mitigate typical seasonal pressures.
“We know falls are the leading cause of hospital admissions in older people, causing untold suffering, affecting millions each year and costing the NHS around £2 billion, so this new software has the potential to be a real game-changer in the way we can predict, prevent and treat people in the community.
“This AI tool is a perfect example of how the NHS can use the latest tech to keep more patients safe at home and out of hospital, two cornerstones of the upcoming 10-year Health Plan that will see shifts from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community care.”
