Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI-integrated health monitoring tools to manage unsupervised use of medications such as semaglutide.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Currently, no assessment has been made on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor the unsupervised use of these medications. However, we recognise the potential of AI and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs. The United Kingdom has a world-leading regulatory system which ensures that medical technologies on the market are safe for use, including AI technologies. Should the National Health Service begin to assess AI-integrated health monitoring tools, they will be held to the same regulatory standards as other tools used by the NHS.
Medications such as semaglutide are prescription only medicines and should not be used unsupervised. It is illegal to obtain a prescription medicine without a prescription.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) benefits and (2) risks of using wearable technology and AI-driven monitoring systems to track vital signs in patients who are prescribed semaglutide; and whether those systems could be used to automatically alert healthcare providers or patients in the event of adverse reactions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published early value assessment guidance on digital technologies for delivering multidisciplinary weight management services. This includes recommendations on which technologies can be used in the National Health Service to prescribe and monitor obesity medicines and deliver multidisciplinary weight-management services in adults.
The Department has not commissioned, and has no current plans to commission, research or an assessment into the use of artificial intelligence or wearable technology for people using obesity medicines. However, we recognise the potential of artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs.
Whilst we have not made a specific assessment of their use in patients prescribed semaglutide, we are actively exploring where these technologies can be safely, effectively, and appropriately used in the health and care system. Ensuring the safe integration of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence into clinical pathways requires careful consideration and collaboration with clinicians, patients, and technology developers.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned, or plan to commission, studies into the use of artificial intelligence to monitor individuals who purchase semaglutide for weight loss, particularly in regard to patient follow-up and supervision.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published early value assessment guidance on digital technologies for delivering multidisciplinary weight management services. This includes recommendations on which technologies can be used in the National Health Service to prescribe and monitor obesity medicines and deliver multidisciplinary weight-management services in adults.
The Department has not commissioned, and has no current plans to commission, research or an assessment into the use of artificial intelligence or wearable technology for people using obesity medicines. However, we recognise the potential of artificial intelligence, wearable technologies, and monitoring systems to support people’s health and care, including through the monitoring of vital signs.
Whilst we have not made a specific assessment of their use in patients prescribed semaglutide, we are actively exploring where these technologies can be safely, effectively, and appropriately used in the health and care system. Ensuring the safe integration of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence into clinical pathways requires careful consideration and collaboration with clinicians, patients, and technology developers.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evaluations have been conducted on NHS-developed electronic health record systems in Leeds, Birmingham and Southampton; what benefits and risks have been identified in comparison to commercial systems developed by EPIC, Cerner and Infosys; and whether they plan to replace the NHS-developed systems with these commercial solutions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England carried out an evaluation of National Health Service-developed electronic health record (EHR) solutions in late 2022, the findings of which were endorsed at the NHS England Digital, Data and Technology Committee in March 2023. The review found that while NHS-developed EHR systems have some benefits, the lack of appetite for their adoption in neighbouring organisations was a limiting factor in their broader use, at a time when sharing EHRs across organisations is being encouraged. The review concluded that there was no current basis to replace NHS-developed solutions, except where, through local decision making, it was deemed appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand longitudinal studies, like AlzEye, which use linked healthcare datasets, to enhance public health efforts in detecting early signs of neurological and systemic diseases through non-invasive tests such as retinal scans.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person, including those with neurodegenerative conditions, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers supported. Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department is also investing in research on novel means of detecting neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the NIHR has invested almost £11 million to fund six projects to improve diagnosis in dementia until 2028.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological and systemic diseases.
To improve secure access to linked health datasets across the National Health Service in England, the Government and NHS England are investing in a network of Secure Data Environments in England at a national and regional level, through the data for Research and Development programme. The Data for R&D Programme also funds the NHS DigiTrials service, which supports both clinical trials and cohort studies to recruit and follow up on consented participants, supporting the Our Future Health Study to recruit over 1.5 million participants.
The Government is supporting the work of studies of patients who have consented to share their detailed health information for longitudinal research; the Secretary of State has announced his intention to direct NHS England to improve the way data can be made to studies where patients have consented to share it for research.
There is currently no NHS screening programme for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases; therefore, there are no plans to facilitate the integration of eye scan technology into screening for dementia.
The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) last review in 2019 recommended not to screen for dementia as the there were no screening tests which could find people with dementia before they show symptoms, and there was no evidence that current treatments for dementia were effective.
The UK NSC has commissioned an evidence map to determine the volume and type of evidence available on the accuracy of screening tests used to detect mild cognitive impairment and/or any type of dementia, as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions offered to treat asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic adults with either condition.
The ability of optometrists to detect neurodegenerative conditions is not yet fully developed and therefore there are no plans in place to encourage collaboration between optometrists and general practitioners to streamline early diagnosis of such conditions.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to provide to facilitate the integration of eye scan technologies, like those used in the AlzEye study, into routine NHS screening programmes for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person, including those with neurodegenerative conditions, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers supported. Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department is also investing in research on novel means of detecting neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the NIHR has invested almost £11 million to fund six projects to improve diagnosis in dementia until 2028.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological and systemic diseases.
To improve secure access to linked health datasets across the National Health Service in England, the Government and NHS England are investing in a network of Secure Data Environments in England at a national and regional level, through the data for Research and Development programme. The Data for R&D Programme also funds the NHS DigiTrials service, which supports both clinical trials and cohort studies to recruit and follow up on consented participants, supporting the Our Future Health Study to recruit over 1.5 million participants.
The Government is supporting the work of studies of patients who have consented to share their detailed health information for longitudinal research; the Secretary of State has announced his intention to direct NHS England to improve the way data can be made to studies where patients have consented to share it for research.
There is currently no NHS screening programme for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases; therefore, there are no plans to facilitate the integration of eye scan technology into screening for dementia.
The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) last review in 2019 recommended not to screen for dementia as the there were no screening tests which could find people with dementia before they show symptoms, and there was no evidence that current treatments for dementia were effective.
The UK NSC has commissioned an evidence map to determine the volume and type of evidence available on the accuracy of screening tests used to detect mild cognitive impairment and/or any type of dementia, as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions offered to treat asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic adults with either condition.
The ability of optometrists to detect neurodegenerative conditions is not yet fully developed and therefore there are no plans in place to encourage collaboration between optometrists and general practitioners to streamline early diagnosis of such conditions.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to encourage collaboration between optometrists and GPs to streamline the early diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want a society where every person, including those with neurodegenerative conditions, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers supported. Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department is also investing in research on novel means of detecting neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the NIHR has invested almost £11 million to fund six projects to improve diagnosis in dementia until 2028.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including neurological and systemic diseases.
To improve secure access to linked health datasets across the National Health Service in England, the Government and NHS England are investing in a network of Secure Data Environments in England at a national and regional level, through the data for Research and Development programme. The Data for R&D Programme also funds the NHS DigiTrials service, which supports both clinical trials and cohort studies to recruit and follow up on consented participants, supporting the Our Future Health Study to recruit over 1.5 million participants.
The Government is supporting the work of studies of patients who have consented to share their detailed health information for longitudinal research; the Secretary of State has announced his intention to direct NHS England to improve the way data can be made to studies where patients have consented to share it for research.
There is currently no NHS screening programme for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases; therefore, there are no plans to facilitate the integration of eye scan technology into screening for dementia.
The UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) last review in 2019 recommended not to screen for dementia as the there were no screening tests which could find people with dementia before they show symptoms, and there was no evidence that current treatments for dementia were effective.
The UK NSC has commissioned an evidence map to determine the volume and type of evidence available on the accuracy of screening tests used to detect mild cognitive impairment and/or any type of dementia, as well as pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions offered to treat asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic adults with either condition.
The ability of optometrists to detect neurodegenerative conditions is not yet fully developed and therefore there are no plans in place to encourage collaboration between optometrists and general practitioners to streamline early diagnosis of such conditions.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 tests have been made available but not processed; and of those, how many relate to each pillar of the NHS Test and Trace programme.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department does not hold data in this format. There will be many instances where the National Testing Programme sends kits out that are not used immediately, for example to be held at local sites for when they are needed. Due to the way in which tests are conducted, this will only be a consideration for Pillars 2 and 4.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 tests have been made available but not processed as part of the NHS Test and Trace programme, broken down by the local authority area (1) to which they were sent, or (2) in which they were administered.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department does not hold data in this format. There will be many instances where the National Testing Programme sends kits out that are not used immediately, for example to be held at local sites for when they are needed.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the total cost of COVID-19 tests which have been made available but not processed since 1 January.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Department does not hold data in this format. There will be many instances where the National Testing Programme sends kits out that are not used immediately, for example to be held at local sites for when they are needed.