Using Big Data, AI, and machine learning to develop rapid research projects could help alleviate winter pressures in the NHS, according to researchers.

Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) is launching 16 “data-driven” projects to identify pressures in the healthcare system and pin-point ways to address them.

HDR UK said that these research projects apply lessons from the pandemic on how to drive “rapid-response research” that generates fast results within a few months and will have a “direct impact” on health policy and clinical care.

The projects, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), include investigating how to reduce ambulance wait times and identifying the impacts of cold and damp homes on health.

Dr Martin Chapman, from King’s College London, who is leading on a project to understand the impact of the cost-of-living on public health and NHS capacity, warned that there isn’t enough attention paid to the impact of the health of children and young people on the NHS during winter.

He said that living in cold, damp and mouldy homes can lead to chest conditions in children and mental health problems in adolescents, and rising energy costs mean more people than ever are living with heat poverty.

“We’re investigating the effectiveness of interventions like support for energy bills on the health of young people by using Artificial Intelligence to digitally mimic their household environments and evaluate the impact of simulated interventions,” he continued.

Other research will explore how to ease pressures on emergency services by using hospital data to speed up patient flow in and out of emergency departments, while another project will use machine learning to predict peaks of infection with common bug Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which can cause serious illness in young children and put pressure on paediatric intensive care units.

“As a doctor who has previously treated patients in the emergency department, I am all too aware of the enormous challenges faced by the healthcare system this winter,” said Professor Cathie Sudlow, chief scientist at HDR UK. “It’s critical that we use data rapidly, securely and responsibly to support the NHS, its workers, and the patients who rely on it for their care.”

Sudlow said that within three months, research teams using existing data infrastructure will have honed in on “key pain points” in the NHS and developed evidence-led recommendations on how best to manage resources.

The studies will begin this month, with the first results expected by the end of March. The findings of the research will be published later in the year.

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