AI community healthcare is starting to change how health and social care services support people in their own homes. Across the Thames Freeport area, a new programme called CarePort is exploring how digital tools can help carers spot early signs that someone’s health is starting to decline, and step in before a small issue turns into an emergency.
Across the Thames Freeport area, communities are both growing and ageing. More people are living with complex health needs, and health and care services are under increasing pressure.
If economic growth is going to benefit local people, communities also need to stay healthy and resilient.
That is why Thames Freeport is investing £500,000 through its Government backed seed capital programme to support CarePort. The programme is testing how AI community healthcare tools can support more proactive care in everyday social care settings.
Delivered in partnership with Care City, Feebris and local authorities, the 18 month programme will explore how AI supported monitoring can help care staff notice early changes in someone’s health and connect quickly with clinical teams.
The aim is simple. Help people stay well at home for longer and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
Moving from reactive care to proactive care
Health and care services across the country are under strain. People are living longer, often with several long term conditions at the same time. That means growing demand for hospitals, emergency departments and ambulance services.
Yet much of the system still works reactively. Support often arrives after someone has already become seriously unwell.
AI community healthcare offers one possible way to shift that pattern.
Using Feebris’ virtual health technology, care workers can carry out routine health observations and share that information securely with clinicians. The technology can flag early warning signs, allowing healthcare professionals to intervene sooner and prevent problems from escalating.
Over the course of the programme CarePort will support
• 1,800 individuals with complex care needs
• 50 care homes
• 15 domiciliary care providers
• 1 hospice
• 100 care workers trained in digital health monitoring
Training is a key part of the programme. Care workers gain new digital health skills and become more connected to the wider neighbourhood care team.
Running the programme across the region also creates a large real world testbed, which is part of our Innovation Labs. The project will generate practical evidence about how AI community healthcare tools can fit into everyday care services and potentially scale across the wider health system.
A real example of proactive care in action
A story from Kallar Lodge care home in Dagenham shows why this approach matters.
An 84 year old resident who had always been sociable and engaged started to withdraw. She stopped joining conversations, wasn’t eating properly and spent more time in her room.
The staff sensed something wasn’t right.
Care workers often notice these subtle changes first, but traditionally they have not had the tools to capture and share that information in a structured way with clinicians.
Using Feebris technology, carers carried out health observations and shared the data with her GP. The cause turned out to be a tooth infection.
She received antibiotics, followed by a dental appointment, and quickly returned to her usual self.
No ambulance.
No long wait in A and E.
Just the right care, delivered at the right time.
Stories like this show how AI community healthcare tools can help carers identify problems earlier and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
Supporting neighbourhood health
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has recently been selected as a national pioneer site for neighbourhood health. The approach brings services together locally to deliver more preventative care closer to home.
CarePort provides a practical example of how digital tools can support that shift.
By equipping care workers with better data and stronger links to clinicians, the programme helps identify health problems earlier and coordinate care across local services.
Why health matters for economic growth
Improving population health is closely connected to economic growth.
When people are able to stay well and independent, they are more able to take up jobs, training and education opportunities. Poor health can limit those chances and place long term pressure on local public services.
Through initiatives like CarePort, Thames Freeport is exploring how innovation and partnership can strengthen both health outcomes and economic opportunity across the region.
Looking ahead
Over the next 18 months the CarePort programme will generate real world evidence on how AI community healthcare tools can improve outcomes, reduce avoidable hospital admissions and support more sustainable health and care services.
As the Thames Freeport area continues to grow, building healthier communities will be an essential part of ensuring that growth benefits everyone.
Read the full press release here Thames_Freeport_Launches_Careport_2026
