Tool predicting NHS staff resignations scoops top AI prize

A landmark collaboration between the University of Reading and the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust (RBFT) has been crowned The Alconics AI Enterprise Business of the Year at the National AI Awards 2026, one of the highest accolades in UK artificial intelligence.

The award recognises "Improving Staff Retention at the RBFT", a project that harnesses AI to tackle one of the NHS's most pressing challenges: keeping skilled staff in post. 

The team built an AI forecasting tool that predicts the likelihood of staff resigning, giving managers an early warning system to intervene before someone leaves. The tool also highlights the specific factors driving an individual's risk of leaving, so HR teams can see why a prediction has been made rather than treating the AI as a black box.

Professor Shixuan Wang, University of Reading, said: "This award reflects what's possible when academic expertise in AI and forecasting is applied directly to a real problem facing the NHS. Our model doesn't just predict who might leave, it shows managers why, so they can act early and make a genuine difference to people's working lives."

RBFT employs around 7,500 staff and provides acute and specialist care across Berkshire, serving a population of around a million people. Like much of the healthcare sector, the Trust has faced high staff turnover, which disrupts patient care and drives up recruitment and temporary staffing costs. Its existing HR processes relied on reactive reporting, meaning managers often only learned about retention problems after staff had already decided to leave.

The project supports the goals of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which aims to stabilise the healthcare workforce, reduce reliance on temporary staff, and protect continuity of care for patients.

Paul Da Gama, Chief People Officer at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re proud to see this innovative work recognised nationally. Retaining our staff is a key challenge, and this project is helping us to better understand our workforce and supports the NHS long term workforce plan.”

Winners were announced online on 9 June, with a celebratory reception held the following day at the AI Summit London, the UK's largest gathering for AI professionals and innovators.

The University of Reading team, including Professor Shixuan Wang and Associate Professor Rita Fontinha from Henley Business School, and Dr Son-Kien Nguyen, attended the ceremony. Professor Shixuan Wang brought world-leading experience in data analytics and developing AI solutions. Associate Professor Rita Fontinha provided vital Strategic HRM insights, grounded in her extensive published research on the quality of working life. Dr Son-Kien Nguyen was employed as the Research Assistant for the project, and he has been instrumental for the success of the project by data analysis, model development, and model deployment. This expertise was perfectly matched by RBFT’s operational leadership, including Peter Sandham in the staff experience, Arran Rogers in nursing informatics, along with Faraz Rasihi and Donna Kellman in workforce data.

Fergus Bruce, CEO of The National AI Awards, said: “Entries for the 2026 National AI Awards were hugely impressive with companies spanning a huge range of industries and innovations. As organisations increasingly look to AI to solve real-world challenges, it is more important than ever to demonstrate measurable value, responsible innovation and tangible business results. Winners this year really did demonstrate the tangible value and outcomes from AI innovation. Attending the AI Summit highlighted how far the UK has progressed in just the last 12 months alone regarding innovation and expertise and we’re so excited to see this continue into 2027.”

Contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk. Main image: The University of Reading team, from left Associate Professor Rita Fontinha from Henley Business School, Professor Shixuan Wang and Dr Son-Kien Nguyen.