A groundbreaking AI system has been developed to identify patient safety risks across the NHS, aiming to prevent harm and improve care outcomes through early intervention
The NHS has introduced the world’s first AI system designed to help detect patient safety risks before they cause harm. By scanning and analysing real-time patient data, the system can alert healthcare teams to potential issues, such as delayed care or worsening conditions, so they can take early action. This marks a significant step in how the NHS is utilising technology to enhance care and safeguard patients nationwide.
Patient safety risks: Preventing harm before it happens
The new AI early warning system automatically identifies safety concerns across the NHS, preventing failures from escalating. This is part of the pledge by the Health and Social Care Secretary to guarantee patient safety and drive quality NHS care, following growing concerns about safety within the NHS after multiple scandals in mental health and maternity services.
The new safety warning system will analyse healthcare data and send an alert on emerging safety issues.
Maternity Outcome Signal System will launch in November
The rollout of the AI system is currently underway. A new Maternity Outcomes Signal System will launch across NHS trusts in November, using near real-time data to flag higher-than-expected rates of stillbirth, neonatal death and brain injury.
Once this system is implemented, it 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.
Once concerns are raised, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will deploy specialist inspection teams as soon as possible to investigate and take swift action.
A new era of transparency for the NHS
The upcoming 10 Year Health Plan aims to bring a new era of transparency to the NHS, renewing focus on patient and staff voice. This intervention will boost patient safety and drive high-quality care for all.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “While most treatments in the NHS are safe, even a single lapse that puts a patient at risk is one too many. Behind every safety breach is a person – a life altered, a family devastated, sometimes by heart-breaking loss.
Patient safety and power are at the heart of our 10 Year Health Plan. By embracing AI and introducing world-first early warning systems, we’ll spot dangerous signs sooner and launch rapid inspections before harm occurs.
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.”
The AI system is built on the NHS Federated Data Platform, which allows healthcare staff to access the information they need in one place securely. That means less paperwork and manual inspections for staff and more time caring for patients.
Professor Meghana Pandit, Co-National Medical Director of secondary Care, said: “The NHS in England will be the first country in the world to trial an AI-enabled warning system to flag patient safety issues, which will rapidly analyse routine hospital data and reports submitted by healthcare staff from community settings.
The move will turbo-charge the speed and efficiency with which we identify patient safety concerns and enable us to respond rapidly to improve patient care.”
CQC’s Chief Executive, Sir Julian Hartley, said: “We will develop a stronger focus on all dimensions of quality, using data which we and partners hold on inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes to spot and act on risk earlier.
We are already developing our new, clearer, and simpler assessment approach. In the future our experienced teams of inspectors, led by our newly appointed Chief Inspectors, will be able to conduct more inspections and share feedback on the findings more quickly – so that providers can make faster improvements. The public has timely care information.”
