ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Once a patient enters the system, triage determines how quickly and effectively they are seen – AI can help speed up this process.
In urgent care settings, AI-powered triage solutions can prioritise patients based on clinical risk, directing them to the right service faster. These systems aren’t replacing clinicians – they’re giving them faster, richer insight so they can focus on care. At Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, intelligent contact centre features now handle more than 11,000 daily interactions, with 95% of calls now answered within one minute. Meanwhile, real-time call-back options and prioritisation tools ensure patients get the support they need without long waits.
Smart triage is also playing a growing role in community and outpatient care. Whether it’s through automated questionnaires or data-driven referral checks, AI helps surface the right information faster.
Automated validation and coordination Once a patient is in the system, the challenge becomes flow – making sure their journey continues without unnecessary delays. One of the simplest, most effective ways to do this is to validate whether patients still need appointments. NHS Highland used AI-supported tools to contact patients on outpatient waiting lists, asking whether their referral was still needed. With an 80%+ response rate and 9-15% discharge rate, the Trust significantly reduced unnecessary appointments and prioritised those in real need. These types of validation exercises – simple in principle, powerful in practice – highlight how automation can unlock capacity without additional clinical input. Coordination is another key win. AI tools can automatically link appointment types, schedule follow-ups, and flag missing tests or information. This reduces admin time, shortens pathways, and improves safety.
Managing the patient journey Discharge isn’t the end of the journey – it’s a handover. Unless that handover is clear, timely and supported, patients fall through the cracks. AI has real potential to speed up safe patient discharge and free up critical hospital beds. Tools such as predictive analytics, automated task coordination and digital communication systems are already helping NHS Trusts identify discharge-ready patients earlier, streamline processes, and reduce unnecessary delays. Yet the real measure of success isn’t just how quickly patients leave hospital – it’s what happens next. That’s
January 2026 Health Estate Journal 85
where technology can make a lasting difference. By breaking down data silos and combining AI with accessible communication tools, NHS Trusts can keep patients connected, reassured and supported throughout their recovery. Digital check-ins and real-time monitoring don’t just ease pressure on hospitals; they provide patients and families with the confidence that care doesn’t stop at the hospital doors. From confirming medication plans to flagging early signs of deterioration, these post-discharge interventions help reduce readmissions, improve recovery experiences, and ensure that hospital beds remain available for those who need them most. Turning discharge into a digitally enabled process is one of the most effective ways to make recovery more reliable – and the healthcare system more resilient. Trusts are already using this approach to reduce readmissions, improve recovery confidence and make better use of stretched inpatient beds. When recovery is supported digitally, it becomes proactive – not reactive. Recovery is not just about staying out of hospital. It’s about progress, and with AI, NHS teams can now monitor that progress in real time. Remote monitoring tools allow clinicians to track vital signs, symptoms and recovery patterns from home. AI can analyse that data to spot early warning signs – like increasing pain, mobility issues or signs of infection – before they become acute.
Frontline teams who co-create digital tools are far more likely to use and improve them.
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