Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to issue guidance to ensure that people diagnosed with ADHD through private healthcare can access NHS prescriptions without additional assessment.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services within the National Health Service. The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidance on “Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content”. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities, which is available at the following link:
NHS clinicians therefore need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.
We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure public engagement with AI implementation in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of Government’s five long-term missions, the Department has launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out an agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.
In addition to launching the online platform, change.NHS.UK, there have been many events across England, which included people and staff from different backgrounds and experiences. In-depth deliberations with the public will consider their priorities and expectations on the three shifts, including their views on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Further information on the change.NHS.UK website is available at the following link:
The Department also engages with Understanding Patient Data (UPD) to ensure that we consider the patient in our policy and strategic thinking. UPD provides objective information about how patient data is used and brings the views of patients and the public to us, to ensure data is being managed and used in ways that are worthy of public trust. Further information on UPD is available at the following link:
https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/
As part of its work on AI, the NHS AI Lab and Sciencewise, within UK Research and Innovation, held a public dialogue on how the public believes decisions should be made about access to their personal health data for AI purposes. The AI Lab conducted a discovery exercise to design approaches based on insights from the public, which is now informing broader data stewardship initiatives, for example, as part of the Secure Data Environments.
In addition, NHS England has recruited patient representatives, Patient and Public Voice Partners, for the AI Advisory Committee on Responsible AI Adoption, to ensure that the committee considers the views of service users, patients, and the public in its advice to the system on the development and delivery of AI.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will establish a standard process for the implementation of AI applications in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the National Health Service is still at a relatively early stage. To address this, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are implemented across the NHS.
The Department is supporting the NHS to adopt the latest innovations in digital technology, such as AI. £2 billion has been allocated to digitise the NHS and £113 million has been provided to accelerate the evaluation and deployment of the most promising AI technologies.
Additionally, the Department has supported the launch of regulatory projects to begin to create a standardized process for AI implementation, such as with the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock.
The AIDRS, in partnership with healthcare regulators, gives innovators and health and care providers a one-stop-shop for support, information, and guidance on the regulatory and evaluation pathways that need to be followed before an AI tool can be safely implemented across the NHS. The AI Airlock is a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows.
Following the announcement of the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have been working with Prime Minister's Office to develop specific proposals of how they will promote the implementation of AI. This includes using a Scan, Pilot, Scale model approach to investing and supporting AI development, to ensure that useful AI tools are quickly identified, tested and, where successful, implemented to improve the lives of United Kingdom citizens.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the (a) 10 Year Health Plan and (b) Long-Term Workforce Plan will link to the AI Opportunities Plan.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 10-Year Health Plan we are reviewing how the National Health Service should focus its resources to ensure that it maximises the impact of data and technology. This includes how we can make life easier and more productive for those who work in the NHS, and how we can use data more effectively to plan, manage and deliver services. This will also be reflected in the refreshed Long-Term Workforce Plan.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will play an important role in achieving this long-term ambition, allowing clinicians to focus more on direct patient care and allowing staff to spend more time on high value, high impact tasks. The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out a desire to shape the AI revolution on principles of shared economic prosperity, improved public services, and increased personal opportunities.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor quality control of new AI products used in the NHS to ensure (a) value for money and (b) return on investment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Against a backdrop of increasing demand for National Health Services and significant workforce pressures, artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities for improving the delivery of care and outcomes for patients, while also saving money and staff time.
Continuous monitoring after deployment is essential to ensure rigorous quality control of new AI products, value for money, and return on investment. The Department is working closely with regulators to identify new measures for providing assurance.
The Department has launched regulatory projects, such as the AI Airlock, to support this aim. AI Airlock is a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency-led initiative designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, value for money, and integration into existing healthcare workflows. This initiative provides valuable feedback for developers to refine their products to ensure a return on investment, when eventually deployed into the NHS.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), sponsored by the Department, evaluates new health technologies for NHS use, considering clinical effectiveness and value for money. As part of this, the NICE conducts Early Value Assessments (EVA) for developers, reviewing their AI tools, including their value for money and return on investment, before they are deployed. For the NHS, EVAs aim to give the NHS a clear signal about which innovations work, offer good value for money, and meet system need.
In the United Kingdom, the vast majority of AI products being used in health and care are regulated as medical technologies. This means they are subject to stringent requirements, primarily set out in The Medical Devices Regulations 2002, and robust monitoring by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency.
The responsibility for spending decisions rests with individual NHS trusts. As public bodies, NHS trusts should maintain the highest standards of rigour, value for money, and propriety in the use of public funding. All spending must contribute to organisational objectives and support the delivery of high-quality patient care.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the accessibility of dental care during the maternity exemption period.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist and we want to make sure that everyone who needs a National Health Service dentist can get one, including pregnant women and new mothers. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.
The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to Integrated Care Boards across England. For Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, this is the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to ensure that NHS trusts have access to similar AI technologies by having approved models in line with the provision of medical equipment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department is working to accelerate the safe, ethical, and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the whole healthcare system. The Department has already provided £113 million, through the NHS AI Health and Care Awards, to 86 AI technologies, which have been used in 40% of National Health Service acute trusts in England, and hundreds of Primary Care Networks across the United Kingdom. This funding has helped to generate the evidence needed to deploy effective AI tools across the NHS.
The NHS operates within a comprehensive regulatory framework for AI, underpinned by rigorous standards established by bodies including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. These agencies ensure that any AI technologies that are made available to the NHS are safe, effective, and ethical to use.
Additionally, the NICE, sponsored by the Department, conducts Early Value Assessments (EVA) which evaluate new health technologies for NHS use, considering clinical effectiveness and value for money. EVAs aim to give the NHS recommendations and highlight the accessibility of AI technologies, including which innovations work, offer good value for money, and meet system need.
For trusts procuring technology there is a standardised procurement route available through specialised procurement frameworks. These frameworks offer NHS trusts access to a list of suppliers who have met a set of standards to be invited to join the framework.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to allocate funding for (a) secure data environments for data validation and (b) other infrastructure required for AI implementation in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Secure access to data to accelerate research and development is an important lever in delivering the Government’s health and growth missions. Access to National Health Service data across England has been supported by investments in digital infrastructure between 2022 and 2025 by the Data for Research and Development programme’s implementation of Secure Data Environment (SDEs) at a national and regional level. The programme’s investment into SDEs supports the full spectrum of data-driven research, including artificial intelligence (AI) development. The budget for the programme for 2025/6 is currently being finalised alongside other priority NHS transformation programmes. Funding plans beyond 2026 will be agreed as part of the Spending Review.
Improved digital and data infrastructure, such as Electronic Patient Records, are essential foundations for digital transformation, such as AI. The NHS has one of the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal patient datasets in the world, making it an attractive location for the development and testing of AI. The centralisation of the healthcare system streamlines data accessibility, integration, and standardisation, all of which benefit the development and deployment of AI. Part of our work will be to create the right environment for the United Kingdom to safely deploy AI at scale, and to attract AI researchers and companies that both develop for, and sell to, UK health and care.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI integration in health on productivity in (a) radiology and (b) oncology.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have huge potential in improving productivity across the National Health Service by supporting clinicians with faster and more accurate diagnosis, enhancing clinical decision-making about treatment plans, and reducing the administrative burden faced by healthcare staff. The Department and NHS England are developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools and how they can be rolled out to make the day-to-day operations of the NHS more productive.
To further support staff productivity in radiology and oncology, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the integration of AI technologies in key, high-demand areas such as radiology, particularly for chest X-Rays and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.
The Department is also working closely with regulators to assess the impact of AI integration on healthcare staff productivity and identify new measures for providing assurance, with the launch of AI Airlock. A Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency-led initiative, supported by the Department, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, value for money, and integration into existing healthcare workflows, including productivity. This initiative provides valuable feedback for developers to refine their products to ensure assessments are carried out on the impact to staff before eventually being deployed into the NHS.
In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), sponsored by the Department, evaluates new health technologies for NHS use, considering clinical effectiveness, value for money, and impacts on staff. As part of this, the NICE conducts Early Value Assessments (EVA) for developers, reviewing their AI tools before they are deployed. For the NHS, EVAs aim to give the NHS a clear signal about which innovations work, offer good value for money, and meet system need, including productivity gains for staff.
The NHS also partnered with the Royal College of Radiologists to deliver the first Global AI Conference on 3 and 4 February 2025. AI projects across radiology, oncology, and other clinical specialties were discussed at the conference, including how AI could support radiologists and oncologists to be more productive and offer a high standard of treatment to the public.
The 10-Year Health Plan is committed to reviewing how the NHS should focus its resources to ensure it maximises the impact of data and technology, including how we can make life easier and more productive for those who work in the NHS. AI will play an important role to achieve this long-term ambition by building and delivering AI capabilities, which will allow clinicians, such as radiologists and oncologists, to focus more on direct patient care and staff to spend more time on high value, high impact tasks.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of levels of workforce requirements needed for AI adoption and innovation in (a) radiology and (b) clinical oncology.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are reviewing how the National Health Service should focus its resources to ensure it maximises the impact of data and technology. This includes how we can make life easier and more productive for those who work in the NHS, and how we can use data more effectively to plan, manage, and deliver services. Artificial intelligence (AI) will play an important role in achieving this long-term ambition by building and delivering AI capabilities which will allow clinicians to focus more on direct patient care, and will allow staff to spend more time on high value, high impact tasks.
The Government recognises that a cancer-specific approach is needed to meet the challenges in cancer care, and to improve outcomes for people living with cancer. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients.
The Department, with NHS England, has convened an expert group to identify advanced technology that can be used most effectively in the NHS, building on the findings of the Topol Review. Alongside this work, the Department and NHS England will continue to work with professions to embrace technological innovations, such as AI.