Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what purposes the UK Health Security Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has focused artificial intelligence (AI) on both internal operational improvements and on external interventions, to enhance the United Kingdom’s health security.

UKHSA toxicologists have installed and are testing a cutting-edge commercial system integrating advanced data analytics with AI to detect airborne pollen in real-time. Further information is available at the following link:

https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/09/11/how-cutting-edge-ai-technology-could-hold-the-key-to-forecasting-the-pollen-count/

The UKHSA has also successfully deployed one of its AI projects to the Tuberculosis (TB) Unit. This system enhances the manual review of country-of-origin documentation to identify those born in high-risk countries who are eligible for TB screening in the UK. The system is being trialled alongside standard practice to test performance and quantify the benefits that it brings.

The UKHSA has implemented governance structures to ensure the use of AI aligns to cross-Government guidance and the agency’s mission. In May 2024, details of a UKHSA Advisory Board paper on AI was shared on GOV.UK website, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukhsa-advisory-board-agenda/ukhsa-advisory-board-artificial-intelligence