AI tool helps to reduce emergency hospital visits in South West England
An artificial intelligence platform is helping NHS teams predict and prevent medical emergencies, reducing hospital admissions and improving care for vulnerable patients.
BRAVE AI, developed by Bering Ltd, is a risk stratification tool designed to identify patients at risk of unplanned hospital admission, especially those with complex long-term health conditions. By enabling earlier, more targeted interventions, it empowers health and care professionals to deliver proactive neighbourhood care. This directly supports all three strategic shifts set out in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, helping to build a stronger, more sustainable health service.
The tool was first piloted in Somerset, where an innovator- and site-led evaluation in care homes showed promising results: a 60% drop in emergency attendances, 35% fewer falls, and 8.7% fewer ambulance call-outs.
Building on this success, NHS England South West supported the wider roll out of BRAVE AI as part of the Digital Neighbourhoods Programme, a regional initiative focused on supporting preventative, digitally enabled care. At the same time, in November 2023, the region secured additional support through the Health Technology Adoption and Acceleration Fund. These two programmes have since enabled expanded deployment and evaluation of the platform in Somerset, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly, in collaboration with Health Innovation South West.
BRAVE AI is now active in six Integrated Care Boards and 40 Primary Care Networks (PCNs), with more than 300 active users each month.
Early findings from the rollout in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly highlight improved identification of high-risk patients, better-targeted interventions, and stronger collaboration between NHS and social care teams. In five early implementor PCNs, integrated neighbourhood working has improved by 30%.
These early insights come at a critical time for the region. 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 are under continuous pressure. High deprivation, rural isolation, and transport limitations further stress the system, underscoring the urgency of preventative and community-based care.
The story of BRAVE AI charts a journey of successful adoption and spread of a health innovation in the South West, showcasing the pivotal role of a health innovation network in catalysing its deployment in local health and care systems.
Dr Ignat Drosdov, Managing Director and Founder (BRAVE), Bering Research Ltd, said: “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.”
BRAVE AI is currently undergoing further real-world evaluation as part of NHS England South West Digital Neighbourhood Programme, with additional further testing and scaling planned beyond the South West region supported by funding from the Small Business Research Initiative.
For more information about our work with BRAVE AI, please contact Nic Ferreira, Evaluation Lead ([email protected]) or Julia Darby, Programme Manager ([email protected]).
