How AI in A&E could help NHS through winter

HOSPITALS in England are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help cut waiting times in emergency departments this winter.

- By STAFF REPORTER

The A&E forecasting tool pinpoints when demand will be high, allowing trusts to better plan for shifts and bed space.

Officials said the technology allows healthcare staff “to do the things that they're trained to do, rather than having to be bound down by bureaucratic processes”.

The forecasting tool is trained on historic data, including weather trends, to determine how many people are likely to visit A&E.

The move was praised by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, who is the Labour MP for Leicester West.

She said: “AI is already improving healthcare by speeding up diagnosis and unlocking new treatments.

“Now we are going a step further.