Hospitals across England are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to ease pressure on accident and emergency departments, as a new AI-powered forecasting tool is deployed to help predict when demand will be at its highest.
The system, now in use across 50 NHS organisations and available to all trusts, is designed to identify likely surges in A&E attendances days and weeks in advance. By analysing a wide range of data, from historical hospital admissions and seasonal illness trends to Met Office temperature forecasts and day-of-week patterns, the tool helps managers plan staffing levels, bed capacity and resources more effectively.
Ministers say the technology will enable patients to be seen and treated more quickly during peak periods, while reducing last-minute pressure on frontline staff. The rollout comes as emergency departments face heightened winter demand, driven by record flu cases, cold weather injuries and seasonal illness. More than 18 million flu vaccines have already been delivered this autumn, with the AI system continuing to learn from evolving seasonal health data.
For NHS staff, the forecasting tool offers clearer long-term planning and earlier warnings of potential bottlenecks, helping trusts put the right people in the right place before pressures escalate. For patients, the aim is shorter waits and smoother journeys through emergency care during the busiest times of year.
The initiative forms part of the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars programme, which is applying artificial intelligence across public services, including health, education, justice, tax and planning, to modernise systems and improve outcomes.
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