28 March 2022
Responding to reports that AI software will be rolled out to NHS Trusts to predict daily A&E admissions Dr Ian Higginson, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said:
“Once again we have an apparent solution that will soon be experiencing a reality check. We have been able to predict the demand for years, and while it will be good to improve this capability, we have not been using this knowledge to plan services, workforce or social care. For instance, each year winter takes us by surprise, and you don’t need a computer to predict that. If we haven’t got the beds and staff to deal with the demand we face, and the ability to care for our patients in our departments rather than in corridors, or tents and ambulances in the carparks, then all we will be doing is predicting our failure with greater clarity.”
