The predictive tool, developed by health tech provider Cera, is now being used in more than 2 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 ICSs 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%.

Falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people with estimates that around 30% 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 more than 4 million bed days a year at an estimated cost of £2bn.

Cera's AI software will also be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses like covid, flu, RSV, and norovirus, allowing NHS and care teams to intervene before hospital care is needed.

The technology works by allowing carers, family members and health care staff to record patient updates on an app which 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 technology 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 more than £1m a day.

Dr Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England, said: ‘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, two cornerstones of the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan that will see shifts from analogue to digital, and from hospital to community care.'

Minister of state for care, Stephen Kinnock, added: ‘I am determined that we harness cutting-edge technology to help our most vulnerable citizens receive expert care at home.

‘This is smart, preventative healthcare in action, and exactly the kind of transformation we're championing in our 10-Year Health Plan – shifting from treating sickness to preventing it, from hospital to community care, and from analogue to digital solutions.' 

Designed by Dr Ben Maruthappu, a former NHS doctor and 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 Maruthappu said: ‘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.'