Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has conducted an equality impact assessment of the increase in the use of artificial intelligence in the National Health Service.

We have not conducted a central Equality Impact Assessment of the increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the National Health Service. The Department leads national policy and regulation to ensure the deployment of AI tools within health and social care is safe, ethical, and effective, and that it supports equitable access to these technologies to ensure that all patients and staff benefit from advancements in AI.

National Health Service trusts are free to make their own decisions regarding the adoption and deployment of AI tools, and NHS trusts are expected to ensure that access to the tools they employ is safe, ethical, effective and equitable for all within their remit.

Aligned to the Equality Act 2010 and Health and Social Care Act 2012, Equality Impact Assessments and Equality and Healthcare Inequalities Impact Assessments should be undertaken by all organisations in relation to each specific policy, proposition, programmes, proposal, or initiative in scope of public sector equality duties.