NHS could cut emergency demand by up to 70% using existing tools - but rollout remains uneven

NHS organisations could significantly reduce pressure on A&E and emergency services using existing data and digital tools, but inconsistent adoption across the system is limiting their impact, according to insights shared at the Digital Health Rewired 2026.

Evidence presented at the conference shows that proactive, data-led care - particularly for people with complex or long-term conditions - can reduce avoidable hospital use at multiple levels, depending on how widely it is applied.

In targeted high-risk groups, the impact can be dramatic. In East Kent, analysis showed that just 3% of residents accounted for nearly 12% of A&E attendances and 18.5% of emergency admissions. A remote monitoring programme for around 500 of these patients enabled earlier intervention and support at home.

The results included a 69% reduction in emergency department visits and a 70% reduction in emergency admissions among the cohort.

At a larger scale, programmes embedded across wider patient populations are also delivering substantial results. In Frimley, analysis of more than 3,600 patients enrolled in a remote monitoring programme found a 38.6% reduction in A&E attendances and a 53.7% reduction in hospital admissions, alongside reductions in 999 calls and GP contacts.

Independent UK research in care home settings has also shown reductions of 11% in A&E attendances and 25% in emergency admissions, reinforcing the broader evidence base for proactive, data-led care.

Taken together, these examples suggest that while the highest impact is seen in tightly targeted groups, consistent system-wide adoption can still deliver meaningful reductions in demand and pressure on frontline services.

Despite this, uptake of these approaches remains uneven across the NHS, with variation even between neighbouring areas.

Markus Bolton, Executive Director at Graphnet Health, said:

We don’t have a shortage of innovation in health and care - we have a challenge with adoption, coordination and scale.

The evidence is already there. When services are able to identify people at risk earlier and intervene in a more joined-up way, it reduces pressure on hospitals and improves outcomes for patients.

The challenge now is making sure that approach is applied consistently, rather than remaining in isolated pockets.

The findings come as the NHS continues to face sustained pressure on urgent and emergency care, alongside wider challenges around workforce capacity, waiting lists and health inequalities.

Speakers at the conference also highlighted how better use of data is enabling services to address the underlying causes of ill health, not just the consequences.

In Cheshire and Merseyside, GP data is being used alongside wider datasets to identify vulnerable households at high risk of accidental fire, allowing fire services and local partners to intervene earlier and prevent harm.

Other programmes are using similar approaches to identify patients at risk due to frailty, long-term conditions or wider social factors, enabling earlier, targeted support.

Markus added:

This is not just about technology. It’s about how services work together around people.
If we focus on prevention, earlier intervention and better coordination, we can improve care for patients while also easing pressure on the system.

There was also a strong emphasis on the importance of designing services around patients and frontline staff, with speakers warning against a ‘build it and they will come’ approach to digital transformation.

Instead, the most successful programmes were those developed with clinicians and communities, and embedded into everyday care rather than layered on top.