NHS hospitals using FDP AI tool to predict A&E demand

An AI tool on the NHS federated data platform (FDP) is being used by hospitals in England to help predict when A&E departments will be busiest.

The A&E demand forecasting tool is available to all NHS trusts with 170 active users across 50 NHS organisations each month, helping them plan how many people are likely to need emergency care and treatment each day.

Liz Kendall, technology secretary, said: “AI is already improving healthcare by speeding up diagnosis and unlocking new treatments. Now we are going a step further.

“By helping to predict demand, this AI forecasting tool is getting patients the care they need faster while supporting our incredible NHS staff.

“That means easing pressure by ensuring the NHS is at the forefront of the latest technology during the busiest time of year.”

The tool is constantly trained on seasonal health data, such as Met Office temperature forecasts, hospital admissions, and which days of the week are busier than others.

This allows it to spot potential bottlenecks and highlight when demand is likely to be higher, allowing staff to manage resources more effectively and helping to reduce waiting times for A&E patients.

NHS organisations using the tool include NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology says that early feedback from staff using the tool has been positive and hospital managers have praised its impact in supporting them to make better decisions about staffing and capacity.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, health innovation minister, said: “The AI revolution is here, and we are arming our NHS staff with the latest technology to help slash A&E waits for patients this busy winter period.

“Innovations like these will help hospitals manage winter pressure and prioritise resources over the coming months as we continue to battle a tidal wave of flu.

“This is part of our 10 year health plan to shift healthcare from analogue to digital as we build an NHS that is fit for the future.”

The forecasting tool forms part of the government’s AI exemplars programme, which aims to improve public services and modernise outdated systems.

Other AI solutions being trialled under the programme includes an AI-assisted discharge summaries tool, hosted on the FDP, which uses a large language model to extract key details from medical records and help write the documents needed to discharge people from hospital.

The AI exemplars programme also includes the suite of AI tools known as ‘Humphrey’, which is intended to make the civil service more efficient. It features tools such as ‘Consult’ which analyses the thousands of responses that government consultations receive and creates interactive dashboards.

Meanwhile, NHS England’s medium term planning framework, published on 24 October 2025, stated that all trusts and ICBs must be onboarded to the NHS FDP and use its core products to support elective recovery, cancer, and urgent and emergency care.