Key Summary
- AI helps hospitals plan ahead and treat A&E patients faster
- Smarter forecasting eases pressure on staff during winter surges
- Pharmacists urge people to be winter-ready with basic medicines
Nearly 50 NHS organisations are utilising an AI tool to predict A&E demand and help the hospitals speed up patient care.
The A&E demand forecasting tool, developed as part of the government’s AI Exemplars programme, is trained on seasonal health data, which helps to spot surges in demand for health services before they happen.
The tool studies data from a wide range of areas, from Met Office temperature forecasts and hospital admissions through to which days of the week are busier than others. This data then produces forecasts for the coming days and weeks.
This helps the NHS staff make smarter planning for shifts and bed space, reduce last-minute pressure as clearer forecasts spot potential bottlenecks.
This also helps reduce waiting times for patients during busy periods.
The early feedback from staff has been positive. Hospital managers have praised its impact in supporting them to make better decisions about staffing and capacity.
Health Innovation minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said, “Innovations like these will help hospitals manage winter pressure and prioritise resources over the coming months as we continue to battle a tidal wave of flu.”
Meanwhile, this winter has already seen record flu cases putting additional pressure on emergency departments, while Christmas typically adds to this pressure with festive challenges such as icy falls and other seasonal illnesses.
More than 18 million flu vaccines have been delivered this autumn.
Stock well for winter
A Wales-based pharmacist Frederick Apenteng has urged the people to maintain a well-stocked medicine cupboard for swift symptom management, eliminating the need to hunt for supplies during illness.
He said people should stock paracetamol or ibuprofen that eases muscle aches, high temperature, etc., throat pastilles or spray for painful throats, two mixtures of cough medicines that will serve both productive as well as dry coughs, decongestant or saline nasal spray for blocked nose, with other useful things like rehydration packets, tissues, and thermometer.
