Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address comments made by Ming Tang, Chief Data and Analytics Officer for NHS England, regarding the "poor" and "inefficient" nature of many hospital computer systems; and what steps will they take to address her assertion that US-designed Electronic Patient Records were primarily intended to "maximise revenues rather than productivity or patient outcomes".
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has supported the National Health Service to invest £2 billion over the past four years to buy or upgrade computer systems to meet the baseline standard, and will continue to support investment in the next Spending Review period. NHS England has a good relationship with US Electronic Patient Record vendors and is working collaboratively with them to ensure that software is optimised for use in the NHS in England, which includes a focus on productivity and outcomes.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS 10 Year Plan, published on 3 July 2025, whether (a) parents will be able to access the NHS App on behalf of their (i) children and (ii) young people and( b) data collected through the NHS App will be shared with third parties.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
General practice (GP) surgeries can give someone secure access to another patient's GP services via the NHS App, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy linked account.
Patients’ health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. However, patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the £10 billion NHS technology investment will be spent on software licensing.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of artificial intelligence technology in MRI scans at NHS hospitals in Hull, and whether they plan to support wider adoption of that technology across all hospitals.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is being used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in National Health Service hospitals, and this includes MRI acceleration software, which is an AI-driven technology that allows MRI scans to be delivered in shorter time frames. Over the past three years, from 2022 to 2025, NHS England has led significant transformation in diagnostic imaging and digital enablement, funding 275 imaging assets, including 27 new or replacement MRI scanners, and delivering 198 MRI acceleration upgrades to enhance MRI speed and efficiency.
In the North East and Yorkshire, including in Hull, 85 MRI scanners now operate, with an average age of just 6.3 years, underscoring our commitment to maintaining a modern, high-performing imaging fleet.
To date, MRI acceleration software has been deployed across 216 scanners in 80 trusts, significantly reducing scan times. Early evidence indicates scan durations may be cut by 30% to 35%, and when paired with best practice booking and scheduling, can deliver an overall 20% efficiency gain, equivalent to approximately 120,000 additional tests annually.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide continuing and updated services to match the development and use of the NHS app for those unable or unwilling to use a smart phone, to ensure that such patients have equivalent access to services.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.
We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, for instance ethnic minority groups, visual impairments, neurodiversity, and physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.
NHS England has successfully run several programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include:
- the Digital Health Champions programme, which is a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online;
- the Widening Digital Participation programme, which is aimed at ensuring more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online; and
- the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, which is designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English.
We have also recruited over 2,000 NHS App ambassadors and 1,400 libraries to help people to learn how to use the NHS App.
NHS England has published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that NHS data handled by Palantir Technologies cannot be accessed or processed by non-UK government entities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) has been designed with stringent safeguards to ensure that patient data is protected in full compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Access to National Health Service health and social care data within the FDP is tightly controlled. Only authorised users are granted access, and solely for approved purposes that demonstrably benefit patient care or NHS operations. Palantir Technologies, as the software provider, operates strictly under the instruction of NHS England. They do not control the data, nor are they permitted to access, use, or share it for any independent purpose. To further strengthen data protection, the FDP incorporates advanced Privacy Enhancing Technology (NHS-PET), which has been procured from a separate supplier to ensure independence and to mitigate any potential conflicts of interest. This technology ensures that data is processed in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. The contract with Palantir Technologies includes robust confidentiality clauses and is governed by a comprehensive oversight framework. This framework includes regular audits, monitoring, and reporting to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards. Data Protection Impact Assessments have been conducted to assess and mitigate any risks to individual rights and freedoms.
It is a contractual requirement that personal data stored in the FDP and NHS-PET cannot be accessed by its provider’s personnel or contractors based outside the United Kingdom. In accordance with GDPR principles of transparency and accountability, NHS England has published details which outline how data is protected, who can access it, and under what conditions. Further information is available at the following link:
These measures collectively ensure that NHS data remains under UK jurisdiction and all processing of patient information will be within the UK only. This is a contractual requirement, and one of the key principles of the FDP Information Governance Framework. Data cannot be accessed or processed by non-UK government entities.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a cyber risk assessment of the use of Palantir’s software in centralised NHS data platforms.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In awarding the contract for the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP), NHS England made an assessment of the cyber risk and the protections offered by each bidder. The FDP has extensive security arrangements in place to manage cyber risk, including:
It is a contractual requirement that personal data stored in the FDP and its associated services (FDP-AS), including the NHS-Privacy Enhancing Technology, cannot be accessed by the provider’s own personnel or contractors from outside the United Kingdom. The FDP-AS contract stipulates that all data must be held within the UK and is subject to UK Data Protection Law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
All FDP data processes and systems need to comply with the Technology Code of Practice, Government Data Standards, the Department’s Guide to good practice for digital and data-driven health technologies, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Information Commissioner's Office’s guidance, and associated regulations, standards, and guidance.
The contract was awarded in conformance with public sector procurement law, as required. The National Health Service ran an independent procurement exercise. The choice of preferred supplier was not made by a single person, as it was the result of assessment by many different individuals. NHS England has a duty to treat all suppliers the same regardless of the public perception of any organisation, or the opinions held by any of their shareholders.
NHS England cannot exclude any supplier that is lawfully established and able to bid from participating in the procurement. The procurement process received external validation from multiple Government departments, as well as independent evaluations by Infrastructure and Projects Authority reviewers. There were no identified security concerns in relation to the contract awarded for the NHS FDP.
The Procurement Act 2023 has introduced new powers to exclude and debar suppliers from public sector contracts if they pose a national security risk. Cabinet Office has established the new National Security Unit for Procurement, which is responsible for investigating suppliers on national security grounds, both within the Government supply chain and for the wider public sector.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will consult with blind and partially sighted patients on potential accessibility improvements to the NHS App.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face to face services.
We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, for instance ethnic minority groups, those with visual impairments, neurodiversity, and physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.
Centrally built services, such as the NHS App and NHS website, are designed to meet international accessibility standards. We are modernising the mobile patient experience within the NHS App, ensuring information is clearly structured and easy to find and understand.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 (a) review and (b) improve NHS App accessibility for (i) people with visual impairment and (ii) other people.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Patients unable to use digital channels can continue to access services via telephone and through traditional face to face services.
We conduct user research on an ongoing basis with users from diverse backgrounds to ensure our service works for everyone. This includes patients with a range of access needs and diverse groups, for instance ethnic minority groups, those with visual impairments, neurodiversity, and physical impairments. We have recruited users who are blind or partially sighted in community-based research, research with local National Health Service teams, and in remote research, either one to one or in groups. We use the findings of user research to plan and prioritise new work to improve accessibility.
Centrally built services, such as the NHS App and NHS website, are designed to meet international accessibility standards. We are modernising the mobile patient experience within the NHS App, ensuring information is clearly structured and easy to find and understand.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
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 implications for the NHS of the use of (a) generative AI and (b) large language models; and whether pilot schemes are underway to assess potential uses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
New artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being developed that have the potential to improve healthcare delivery and to provide significant cost savings to the National Health Service. One example is the use of automated voice to text tools, which use generative AI to listen to and transcribe patient notes.
Currently, there are ongoing assessments of the use of these tools in the NHS as these technologies could help ease the administrative burden faced by staff and make systems more efficient. Several NHS trusts are running trials, including a multi-site assessment of the impact of using automated transcription software. The NHS AI team is monitoring these developments and developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools. This guidance will be informed by the Government’s broader guidance on the use of Generative AI in the public sector.
There are strict safeguards in place throughout the NHS to protect data. All providers of services which handle patient data must protect that data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and Data Protection Act 2018, and every health organisation is required to appoint a Caldicott Guardian to advise on the protection of people’s health and care data, and ensure it is used properly. This includes where AI is used in relation to patient records.
To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from use of data in AI, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and UK GDPR. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies. NHS bodies are expected to make use of this guidance and toolkit.