A new AI tool is being rolled out across the NHS that can predict a patient’s risk of falling with 97 percent accuracy, preventing as many as 2,000 falls and hospital admissions each day.

Developed by health technology provider Cera, the predictive tool is now being used in more than two million patient home care visits a month, monitoring vital health signs to predict worrying signs of deterioration in advance. It can then alert healthcare staff so they can step in and reduce the risk of hospitalisation.

The software is in use across more than two thirds of NHS integrated care systems across the country and helps to provide care at home by flagging as many as 5,000 high-risk alerts a day, reducing hospitalisations by up to 70 percent.

According to the NHS, falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people with estimates that around 30 percent of people aged 65 and above – 2.5 million people – and around half of those aged 80 and above will experience a fall at least once a year. These falls and fractures account for over four million bed days a year at an estimated cost of £2 billion.

Cera’s AI software will also be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses like COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus, allowing NHS and care teams to intervene before hospital care is needed.

The assistive technology works by allowing carers, family members, and healthcare staff to record patient updates on an app that then monitors and reacts to a range of vital health signs in real time, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature.

It predicts future risks of falls and health risks and alerts healthcare professionals of those at risk so they can step in and provide patients with the care in the community necessary to prevent future emergencies.

Cera’s software can also automate paperwork like visit schedules and creating care plans, giving staff more time to focus on caring for patients.

Since its successful trial July 2023, the measure is keeping thousands of elderly and vulnerable people safe at home, leading to a reduction of A&E attendances and freeing up hospital beds, which research shows is saving the NHS over £1 million a day.

Dr Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, commented: “This new tool now being used across the country shows how the NHS is harnessing the latest technology, including AI, to not only improve the care patients receive but also to boost efficiency across the NHS by cutting unnecessary admissions and freeing up beds ahead of next winter, helping hospitals to mitigate typical seasonal pressures.

“We know falls are the leading cause of hospital admissions in older people, causing untold suffering, affecting millions each year and costing the NHS around £2 billion, so this new software has the potential to be a real game-changer in the way we can predict, prevent and treat people in the community.

“This AI tool is a perfect example of how the NHS can use the latest tech to keep more patients safe at home and out of hospital, 2 cornerstones of the upcoming 10-year Health Plan that will see shifts from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community care.”

Christine, 82 from Essex, receives care from Cera after a previous fall which left her with a broken femur and subsequent shock fracture.

Christine said: “There is no question that Cera’s preventative approach has helped me avoid injuries and falls ever since. They have kept me out of hospital, flagging up potential risks and helping me to avoid them. After I broke my leg, they also enabled me to return home from hospital much faster than I otherwise would have done.”

Designed by Dr Ben Maruthappu, a former NHS doctor and the founder and chief executive of Cera, the AI technology was created to minimise avoidable or unnecessary hospitalisations and is now used by almost 10,000 home healthcare professionals across the country every single day, helping to increase staff efficiency and improve patient outcomes.

Dr Ben Maruthappu explained: “AI in home care is a game-changer; by enabling better care delivery, it has the power to save countless lives while also saving the taxpayer billions.

“At Cera, we’ve seen first-hand how AI can transform health outcomes for high-risk and vulnerable individuals: preventing illness and injury, radically reducing avoidable hospitalisations, and empowering people to live longer, healthier lives, in their own homes.

“We’re delighted to partner with the NHS to roll out our technology – keeping older and vulnerable people across the country out of hospital and safe at home.”