Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled AI technology to help cut cancer waiting lists, published on 21 May 2024, whether his Department has distributed all of the announced funding.

The funding for artificially intelligent (AI) radiotherapy contouring quoted in the press release was announced under a previous administration, and was not taken forward at the time.

However, AI presents significant opportunities within NHS England to improve the delivery of care and outcomes for patients by increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, and improving staff productivity, by freeing up staff time from some routine and administrative work.

Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.

All future spending commitments beyond 2025 to 2026 will be dependent on the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review process, which will conclude and be published in late spring of 2025.