Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence to support the early identification of hospital-acquired infections in NHS hospitals.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency is currently exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may be used across a range of public health analyses and threat identification.
Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are a major public health concern because bacteria in healthcare settings are often exposed to antibiotics, increasing the likelihood that they will develop resistance. These resistant infections are more difficult to treat and can lead to poorer patient outcomes. Through the Pathogen Risk Intelligence Modelling Project, we are generating metagenomic data from wastewater and air samples collected in hospitals and using AI and, in particular, supervised machine learning, to track the spread of antimicrobial resistance between different types of bacteria. Wastewater metagenomic surveillance is a cost-effective approach that provides a broad picture of microbial communities without targeting specific species. Our aim is to detect emerging resistance early, enabling healthcare professionals to take timely infection prevention and control measures. We are currently evaluating the performance of this approach to determine how effectively it can identify and monitor antibiotic resistance in realworld healthcare settings.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence chatbots and other artificial intelligence tools to provide mental health and wellbeing support.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Through the Mental Health Strategy, which will build on the ambitions set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will explore how digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can support better mental health.
We recognise that more people are using generative AI chatbots for mental health advice and support given the unacceptably long waiting times to access support from trained professionals, and the potential risks that they pose, particularly when people seek support from AI chatbots during moments of acute distress.
Digital and AI tools in mental health care can enhance and complement the work of qualified counsellors and psychotherapists. For example, NHS Talking Therapies now offers mental health support through chatbots such as Limbic Access and Wysa, which support patients with completion of self-referral, pre-assessment data collection and help therapists with assessment and triage.
However, the Government is clear that AI chatbots must not replace advice and support from trained medical professionals. Publicly available AI applications that are not deployed by the National Health Service are not regulated as medical technologies. Users are strongly advised to be careful when using unregulated AI applications.
The Government is committed to improving NHS mental health services, so patients receive the right mental health support at the right time, in the right place.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safeguards required for the use of artificial intelligence to triage patients through the NHS app.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to safeguarding patients as part of the shift from analogue to digital National Health Services, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulates artificial intelligence (AI) tools that provide clinical assessment to ensure they are safe for patient use in the NHS. NHS organisations deploying such tools must also comply with risk management standards and with the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria.
NHS England is developing national triage standards setting out the clinical principles, urgency thresholds, and performance expectations against which any AI-enabled triage will be assured before use and continuously evaluated against.
The Government has also established the National Commission into the regulation of AI in healthcare, which will advise on the future regulatory framework of AI.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence systems to reduce administrative burdens in NHS hospitals.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the significant potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce administrative burdens across National Health Service hospitals and support frontline staff.
AI technologies, including tools that automate clinical documentation such as the summarisation and transcription of patient consultations, are already demonstrating how routine administrative tasks can be streamlined, reducing time spent on paperwork. Early NHS pilots indicate that these tools can significantly cut documentation time and increase patient-facing time. For example, one small London-based study reported a reduction in paperwork of approximately 50%.
In addition, the rollout of Microsoft Copilot across parts of the NHS is supporting staff to automate routine administrative tasks such as drafting documents, summarising information, and managing correspondence, helping to reduce time spent on manual processes and improve productivity.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the use of artificial intelligence-enabled triage and diagnostic technologies within the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is supporting the safe and effective adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled triage and diagnostic technologies across the National Health Service through targeted investment, national infrastructure, and clear governance frameworks.
We are investing in proven AI diagnostics, including funding to expand AI imaging tools that support earlier detection of conditions such as cancer and stroke, helping patients receive faster diagnosis and treatment. We are also enabling large-scale testing and deployment through national platforms to evaluate and scale promising AI tools safely across trusts.
In parallel, NHS England is supporting AI-enabled triage, including digital tools such as NHS 111 Online symptom checkers which use algorithms to guide patients to appropriate care, and digitally assisted triage systems in general practice that combine online forms and AI to prioritise patient need.
All adoption is underpinned by robust regulation and guidance to ensure safety, effectiveness, and public trust, with clinicians remaining central to decision-making.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the readiness of specialist artificial intelligence tools for clinical use in the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the significant potential of specialist artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support clinical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, and increase National Health Service productivity.
Specialist AI tools are already in use, particularly in medical imaging, where AI supports clinicians by prioritising cases and improving diagnostic efficiency. AI-powered chest X-ray tools, acting as a “second pair of eyes”, have already supported more than four million patients to receive faster lung cancer diagnoses or all-clear results, and are in use across approximately half of NHS trusts.
The Government is investing £20 million to roll out this proven technology to all NHS trusts in England by 2029, alongside further funding to pilot next-generation AI tools across a range of clinical pathways.
Clinical responsibility remains with trained professionals, with AI acting as a decision-support. Readiness is assessed through robust regulatory, evaluation, and governance frameworks, working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the Care Quality Commission to support safe adoption across the NHS.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the adoption of artificial intelligence diagnostic tools across the NHS to improve the early detection of lung cancer and other serious conditions.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) in a range of areas across the United Kingdom health system. AI tools are already being used as a “second pair of eyes” for clinicians, helping to prioritise scans, reduce waiting times, and support earlier intervention.
Through the £113 million Health and Care AI award programme that concluded in March 2025, a number of technologies that support cancer diagnosis were developed and tested. The £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund supported the adoption of technologies in high-demand diagnostic services such as chest X-Ray and chest computed tomography scans to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
The Government has recently announced an additional £20 million through the AI Diagnostic Fund to ensure all acute trusts can benefit from this technology. To date, these tools have helped more than four million patients receive a faster diagnosis or all-clear diagnosis, with millions more set to benefit from this policy.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the use of artificial intelligence-enabled technologies in the delivery of physiotherapy services within the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the significant potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the delivery of health and care services, including physiotherapy, by supporting earlier intervention, improving access, and enhancing patient outcomes.
As set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England, AI will play a central role in the shift from analogue to digital services, alongside wider transformation from hospital-based care to community-based care. This includes supporting the expansion of digital and remote care models which are directly relevant to rehabilitation and physiotherapy services.
AI-enabled physiotherapy and rehabilitation services are already being piloted and deployed in parts of the National Health Service including digital musculoskeletal pathways that provide same-day access to care, personalised rehabilitation programmes, and remote monitoring. Early evidence from these services shows improvements in patient outcomes and significant reductions in waiting times, with deployments expanding across multiple NHS regions as part of wider efforts to scale digital care.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether existing liability and regulatory frameworks adequately allocate responsibility for harm arising from the use of artificial intelligence tools in clinical decision-making within the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical decision-making has significant potential to improve patient outcomes and efficiency, while raising important questions about accountability and patient safety.
Existing legal and regulatory frameworks provide a strong basis for allocating responsibility for potential harms. These include clinical negligence law, professional standards, product liability regimes, and oversight from regulators such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Care Quality Commission, the Information Commissioner and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Responsibility for patient care decisions remain with clinicians, who must exercise professional judgement when using AI tools. As AI becomes more embedded in clinical pathways, in the event of an incident, this would likely involve multiple parties and responsibilities would likely be apportioned accordingly, depending on the circumstances.
The Government recognises that AI introduces novel considerations around the distribution of responsibility between manufacturers, software licensors, and users. The Department has commissioned work from NHS Resolution to assess how existing liability frameworks apply to AI use cases and to provide greater clarity.
This is further supported by recent research from the MHRA’s National Commission into the Regulation in Healthcare, which highlights strong support for AI in healthcare provided there are robust safeguards, clear accountability, and ongoing monitoring and performance.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through research funding and innovation programmes to support the use of artificial intelligence in the development of personalised cancer treatments and vaccines.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform that is increasing access and speeding up recruitment to clinical trials for personalised cancer vaccines and other immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. In 2025, the scope of the CVLP was expanded beyond personalised cancer vaccines to also include other immunotherapies. NHS England is responsible for the overall delivery of the CVLP and has contracted the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit to manage the day-to-day delivery of the platform.
Government responsibility for delivering cancer research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.
For example, the Early Detection using Information Technology trial is backed by £11 million of Government support via the NIHR. Almost 700,000 women from across the country will take part in a world-leading trial to test whether using artificial intelligence (AI) to support radiologists increases the number of cancers detected in women taking part in the national breast cancer screening programme.
Launching this June, the NIHR Innovation Catalyst is designed to accelerate the development and evaluation of innovative health technologies, such as AI. It brings together funding, infrastructure, and expertise to help innovators generate the evidence needed to move technologies more quickly towards real‑world use. Overall, it aims to get effective new technologies to patients faster.
The NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.