Trials begin of machine learning system to help hospitals plan and manage COVID-19 treatment resources developed by NHS Digital and University of Cambridge - NHS Digital

Trials have begun of a system that will use machine learning to help predict the upcoming demand for intensive care (ICU) beds and ventilators needed to treat patients with COVID-19 at individual hospitals and across regions in England. The COVID 19 Capacity Planning and Analysis System (CPAS), developed by NHS Digital data scientists and a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, and using data from Public Health England, will support hospitals to plan more accurately and help ensure that resources are deployed to best effect to support COVID-19 throughout the NHS. The first stage alpha trials began this week at four hospitals, aiming to demonstrate the relative accuracy of the system and fine tune it to best meet the needs of hospitals. "With the pressure being placed on intensive care by the current coronavirus pandemic it is essential to be able to predict demand for critical care beds, equipment and staff,"says NHS Digital Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Benger. "CPAS allows individual hospitals to plan ahead, ensuring they can give the best care to every patient. At the same time, the wider NHS can ensure that the ventilators, other equipment and drugs that each intensive care unit will need are in place at exactly the time they are required. In the longer term, it is hoped that CPAS can be used to predict hospital length of hospital stay, discharge planning and wider intensive care demand in the time that will come after the pandemic."