Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguards and governance arrangements are in place for NHS patient data when accessed or processed by artificial intelligence systems.

NHS England has issued guidance for the National Health Service, on the Transformation Directorate’s website, on the safe, lawful, and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and care settings. This has been reviewed by the Health and Care Information Governance Working Group, including the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Data Guardian.

This framework helps ensure that AI innovations developed using NHS data benefit patients, support clinicians, and maintain public trust. Safeguards will include ensuring public transparency on the use of AI, ensuring systems are explainable, and that decisions remain under human oversight.