Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability of AI systems in supporting medical diagnosis, particularly in cases where patient data is incomplete; and what steps they are taking to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect patient safety and support clinical decision-making.

The Government recognises the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support clinicians in medical diagnosis, while being clear that such technologies must be safe, effective, and used appropriately.

AI systems in healthcare are intended to support, not replace, clinical judgement. Their reliability depends in part on the quality and completeness of patient data, and the Government is clear that a qualified healthcare professional must remain involved in decision‑making. Managing risks associated with incomplete data requires both robust system design and wider improvements in how patient information is accessed and shared across the health and care system.

All AI technologies used for medical diagnosis in the National Health Service must comply with medical device regulations and clinical safety standards. These should specifically consider risks such as false positives, false negatives, and performance degradation where data are incomplete.

The Government is also improving data foundations through the development of a Single Patient Record, which aims to provide a clear, unified view of a patient’s history wherever they have received care. This will support safer, faster, and better‑informed clinical decision‑making by enabling seamless access across care settings, while building on existing systems such as Electronic Patient Records, Shared Care Records, and the Federated Data Platform.