The NHS is launching an AI tool which it claims can predict a patient’s risk of falling with 97 per cent accuracy, preventing as many as 2,000 falls and hospital admissions each day.

The predictive tool, developed by HealthTech provider Cera, will be used in more than two million patient home care visits a month.

It monitors vital health signs to predict signs of deterioration in advance and can alert healthcare staff so they can step in and reduce the risk of hospitalisation.

The healthcare provider conducted trials of the tool in July 2023 and claims its use has kept “thousands” of elderly and vulnerable people safe at home, leading to a reduction of A&E attendances and freeing up hospital beds, saving the NHS over £1 million a day.

The NHS said 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 per cent.

Falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people and the NHS estimates that around 30 per cent of people aged 65 and above will experience a fall at least once a year. This rises to around 50 per cent for those aged 80 and above.

These falls and fractures account for over four million bed days a year, which the NHS estimates costs around £2 billion per year.

Additionally, the AI software will also be used to detect the symptoms of winter illnesses like COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus, which the NHS said will allow it to intervene before hospital care is needed.

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

The tool was designed by Dr Ben Maruthappu, a former NHS doctor, who launched Cera after experiencing firsthand the challenges care professionals face.

“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,” said Dr Vin Diwakar, national director of transformation at NHS England. “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.”

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