Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential application of artificial intelligence for supporting the interpretation of electrocardiograms in screening for inherited cardiac conditions in people aged 14 to 35.

The Government recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential for improving healthcare across all areas of the National Health Service and social care, including for cardiac conditions.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding research into the potential impact of AI on diagnosis and treatment for major conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and research into how the technology can be used to improve NHS services and reduce the burden of clinicians’ workloads.

Between 2017 and 2023, the Department has invested £148 million through the NIHR and an additional £123 million through the AI in Health and Care Award to research AI in healthcare.