AI population health management platform – BRAVE AI
An artificial intelligence tool that predicts patients’ risk of emergency admission to hospital.
Impact
- Care home pilot in Somerset showed 60% fewer ED attendances, 35% fewer resident falls, and 8.7% fewer ambulance call-outs.
- BRAVE AI is active in six Integrated Care Boards and 40 Primary Care Networks with 300+ monthly users.
- Current live evaluations are indicating improved patient experience and improved workforce productivity through more integrated team working.
- Championed by NHS England for its Digital Neighbourhoods Programme.
- National spread potential after further evaluation and testing.
Project summary
BRAVE AI is an artificial intelligence tool, designed and developed by Bering Ltd, that uses advanced algorithms to score a patient’s health complexity and predict their risk of sudden medical crisis, especially in more vulnerable ageing populations. This helps clinical teams deliver more timely and proactive interventions to support personalised care and reduce emergency admissions.
The last decade charts a journey of successful adoption and spread of BRAVE AI in the South West, supported by Health Innovation South West, helping patients and health and social care providers focus on prevention rather than cure. This long-term relationship underscores Health Innovation South West’s pivotal role in catalysing deployment of innovation in local health and care systems.
The work has enabled the innovator to safeguard long-term jobs and increase business revenues which are being reinvested into research and development, evaluation and learning, and implementation.
Roll-out in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Following a successful pilot in Somerset, BRAVE AI is now being rolled out across further PCNs in Somerset, and all PCNs in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (CIoS) as part of the NHS England South West Digital Neighbourhoods Programme, with support from the Health Technology Acceleration and Adoption Fund (HTAAF).
16 of 17 PCNs in CIoS have gone technically live, with ten clinically live and integrating the tool into multidisciplinary team (MDT) workflows. Early formative results indicate improved patient identification, targeted interventions, and enhanced cross-sector collaboration.
Initial findings suggest minor reductions in elective and non-elective admissions. Early feedback shows a 30% improvement in integrated neighbourhood working across five early starter PCNs enabled by the use of BRAVE AI. MDTs report stronger collaboration, improved communication, and a more structured approach to patient care.
Rationale
High rates of complex long-term conditions, coupled with an ageing population and ambulance waiting times at double the national average, mean that the region’s Emergency Departments (EDs) are under continuous pressure. High deprivation, rural isolation, and transport limitations further stress the system, underscoring the urgency of preventative and community-based care.
Key stakeholders
Having worked with the innovator since 2014, Health Innovation South West’s support for BRAVE AI has included:
- Grant funding for prototype development, product testing, and building partnerships with local systems and early adopters.
- Evaluation support to demonstrate the impact of implementation.
- Support through HTAAF for further roll-out and evaluation.
- An SBRI bid for real-world evaluation.
Next steps
The spread across the South West has been catalysed by NHS England South West Digital Neighbourhoods Programme and will continue to be evaluated.
With SBRI Phase 3 funding secured, the focus is on scaling beyond the South West region and conducting further real-world evaluation. In collaboration with Health Innovation South West, a spread and adoption strategy is in development.
Working with Health Innovation South West enabled our team to engage early with energised clinicians and citizens and inform key decisions around product development and commercialisation.
Dr Ignat Drosdov, Managing Director and Founder (BRAVE), Bering Research Ltd
