Cera launches AI lab to address global care capacity challenges

Digital-first home healthcare firm has announced the launch of an AI lab, backed by an eight-figure investment, to develop tools aimed at tackling global care capacity and workforce challenges.

The lab will use anonymised patient data collected from millions of home care visits each month to develop and test new tools, before deploying them in real-world settings.

It will focus on building, testing and scaling AI tools to support care delivery and improve access, with plans to license proven technologies internationally.

Dr Ben Maruthappu, founder and chief executive of Cera, said: “As the population ages, healthcare systems globally are drowning in demand.

“The critical way to solve this crisis is by using technology – from AI algorithms to robotics – to empower healthcare workers to achieve more with less.

“People often fear that technology will replace empathy, but to save human care, we must automate everything but the human.

“Ultimately, given the severe workforce challenges across the sector, the alternative to AI & robotics isn’t human care.

“For millions right now, the alternative is no care at all. By proving this technology works at a national scale in the UK, we are creating a blueprint that can be exported globally through our AI Lab, to fix broken healthcare systems worldwide, keeping patients out of hospital and in the comfort of their own homes.”

The initiative comes amid growing pressure on health and care systems, driven by ageing populations and workforce shortages, with global data suggesting a significant proportion of older people have unmet long-term care needs.

Initial focus areas include tools for predicting patient deterioration, improving workforce capacity and supporting people at home through assistive technologies.

Cera said that it intends to make validated tools available to healthcare providers globally, with the aim of supporting system sustainability and reducing pressure on hospitals.

The lab will also involve a group of entrepreneurs working alongside data scientists and clinicians to identify frontline challenges and develop solutions.

Kanishka Narayan, minister for AI, said: “Cera’s world-first lab will put precious time back in the hands of healthcare workers, so they can focus on delivering the care people depend on.

“It is proof that AI can power the transformation of NHS and healthcare systems around the world.”

Cera said that it works with a majority of NHS care regions and more than 100 local authorities, which it expects will support the rollout and evaluation of new technologies.

The lab will build on its existing technology, including predictive algorithms designed to identify health risks and tools to support workforce recruitment and retention.

In January, Cera announced that it had launched a suite of AI agents designed to automate time-consuming tasks in the home care sector.

Last year, Cera began piloting the use of droid-like robots driven by AI software in patients’ homes and acquired robot technology platform GenieConnect.