An AI-enabled medical app could reduce the burden on overstretched local health services.
The app, developed by health tech company Cera, is generating over £1.5m daily in savings for the NHS by supporting nurses and social care workers in treating older patients at an early stage.
Through AI-based technology that monitors changes in vital signs such as body temperature and heart rate, the app notifies carers when patients become vulnerable to illness and require medical attention, according to The Times.
The system has reduced hospital admissions by half since its launch in 2023, based on analysis by Faculty AI, with over 10,000 of the country’s health and social care workers using the technology during home visits.
Founder of Cera and former A&E doctor Dr Ben Maruthappu, reportedly said: ‘These figures show social care’s potential to act as the front line of prevention for high-risk over-65s, easing NHS pressures at a time when the health service is stretched to breaking point.’
He added: ‘£1bn in savings could fund the salaries of more than 25,000 nurses for a year, pay for 40 million more GP appointments or build a number of hospitals.
‘The further rollout of AI-backed home care, in a safe way, focused on prevention, could save many more billions, making a tangible difference for the public purse.’
To learn more about AI-driven care, read AI-based gender bias could thwart care delivery, research finds.
