AI tackles Bedfordshire A&E bottlenecks - MP reacts

NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board is one of the early adopters of the new demand forecasting tool. It is helping them plan how many patients are likely to need emergency care on any given day.

The prediction algorithm is constantly training on how many people arrive at A&E each day, alongside historical trends such as weather patterns, school holidays, and rates of flu and Covid. It then uses this information to forecast how many people are likely to attend A&E.

This allows hospitals to plan staffing more effectively, including deploying additional consultants in particular specialities or increasing nursing cover in departments expected to be under the greatest pressure.

The use of AI forms part of the Labour Government’s plan to modernise systems across the public sector to improve frontline services.

Prof Julian Redhead, the national clinical director for urgent and emergency care at NHS England, said: “Early and efficient planning is key to managing busy periods like winter, and new tech like the AI tool has the potential to make a real difference to the way we manage care for patients.”

Labour MP Alex Mayer said: “The AI revolution is here and it’s right to use it in the public sector so NHS staff have the latest technology at their fingertips. By helping to predict demand, this AI forecasting tool is helping patients to get the care they need faster.”