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 used to predict when demand will be highest.
The system, now in use across 50 NHS organizations and available to all trusts, is designed to detect likely increases in A&E attendance days and weeks in advance. By analyzing a wide range of data, from historical hospital admissions and seasonal illness trends to Met Office temperature forecasts and weekday patterns, the tool helps managers plan staffing, bed capacity and resources more effectively.
Ministers say the technology will allow patients to be seen and treated more quickly at peak times, while reducing last-minute pressures on frontline staff. The launch comes as emergency departments face increased winter demand caused by record flu cases, cold weather injuries and seasonal illnesses. More than 18 million flu vaccines have already been administered this fall, with the AI ​​system continuing to learn from evolving seasonal health data.
For NHS staff, the forecasting tool provides clearer long-term planning and earlier warnings of potential shortages, helping trusts get the right people in the right place before pressures escalate. The goal for patients is shorter wait times and a smoother journey through emergency care during the busiest times of the year.
The initiative is part of the Prime Minister’s AI Exemplars program, which uses artificial intelligence across public services, including health, education, justice, taxation and planning, to modernize systems and improve outcomes.
Technology Minister Liz Kendall said AI is already transforming healthcare and demand forecasting is the next step in that journey. She said the tool would help hospitals predict pressure points, get patients treated faster and support NHS staff during the most difficult months of the year.
The Minister of Health Innovation, Dr. Zubir Ahmed said the technology will help hospitals cope more effectively with winter stress, especially when flu cases increase. He described the rollout as part of a wider ambition to transform the NHS from analogue systems to a digital future as part of the government’s 10-year health plan.
Initial feedback from NHS managers has been positive, with local leaders reporting improved decision-making around staffing and capacity. Integrated care authorities in areas such as Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, are already using the tool to support operational planning.
The forecasting system is one of several AI initiatives being rolled out as part of the Exemplars program. Other projects include AI-powered diagnostics to help doctors detect conditions such as lung cancer more quickly, automated discharge summaries to speed up the flow of patients from wards, and the GOV.UK chatbot, which uses official government information to provide instant, understandable answers to public queries.
Ministers say the increasing use of AI in healthcare is central to building an NHS that is more resilient, efficient and able to meet increasing demand – particularly in winter – while improving both the patient experience and staff wellbeing.
