“Our ambition is ultimately to change how we anticipate patient need”
An NHS hospital trust in Greater Manchester is using a new form of technology to help tackle growing pressure on its emergency department.
Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify patients who may need extra support before they end up back in hospital.
The tool looks at information already routinely collected during a visit to Tameside General Hospital A&E and predicts which patients are most likely to return within the next month, allowing staff to step in with community care before their health problem worsens.
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The data includes demographic details, how a patient arrived at hospital, triage information, long-term health conditions and their history of emergency attendances or inpatient admissions.
Patients identified as being at high risk are then discussed by multidisciplinary teams made up of NHS staff and health and social care partners. Together, the trust says they create personalised follow-up support in the community, before health issues develop into emergencies.
The AI tool also monitors high-risk patients to ensure appropriate care has been provided. According to the trust, early results suggest the initiative has reduced emergency department reattendance among high-risk patients by between 33 per cent and 50 per cent, although it says impact has varied from week to week.
The trust says the AI will improve with time as it learns from more data, with plans to introduce further automation across its hospital to reduce pressure on clinical staff while improving patient safety and quality of care.
Operational Intelligence Lead Liam Brierley said: “The tool allows us to predict emergency department reattendance, rather than simply providing a retrospective analysis.
“Our ambition is ultimately to change how we anticipate patient need, moving from reactive care to intelligent, preventative intervention.
“This project is strong example of how we can take advantage of new, advanced technologies like AI for the benefit of both our patients and staff. The AI tool doesn’t replace clinical judgement but rather empowers clinicians with the insight they need to deliver high-quality care before a crisis occurs.”
Before it was introduced, the model underwent extensive testing, while patient safety specialists helped design the clinical processes surrounding its use. Data security experts also ensured patient information remains protected and is only accessible to authorised staff, the trust said.
The project has also been shortlisted in the ‘Urgent and Emergency Care Safety Initiative of the Year’ category at the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards. Winners are due to be announced on September 28.
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