NHS plans AI-powered warning system to identify safety issues

The government is to launch AI technology that automatically identifies safety concerns across the NHS.

The move follows a promise by health and social care secretary Wes Streeting to overhaul health and care regulation and guarantee patients safe, quality care.

The new safety warning system will be able to rapidly analyse healthcare data and identify emerging safety issues, with an aim to stop failures in the NHS before they escalate.

A new Maternity Outcomes Signal System, launching across NHS trusts from November, will use near real-time data to flag higher than expected rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury.

When fully implemented, the government said that the technology could analyse hospital databases to identify patterns of abuse, serious injuries, deaths, or other incidents that can slip through the net, cause harm and stop hospitals from running safely.

Where concerns are raised, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will deploy specialist inspection teams as soon as possible to investigate and take swift action.

The technology is being developed as part of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, which focuses on focus providing high quality healthcare.

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said that while most treatments in the NHS are safe, even a single lapse that puts a patient at risk is one too many, adding that safety breaches can cause “heart-breaking” loss and alter lives.

“Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10 Year Health Plan and by embracing AI and introducing world-first early warning systems, we’ll spot dangerous signs sooner and launch rapid inspections before harm occurs,” Streeting added. “This technology will save lives – catching unsafe care before it becomes a tragedy.

“It’s a vital part of our commitment to move the NHS from analogue to digital, delivering better, safer care for everyone.”