Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI technologies in residential care settings to reduce falls and emergency hospital admissions; and what plans they have for the funding and regulation of those technologies in the adult social care sector.

Falls can have a significant impact on quality of life, and the human cost of falling includes distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence, and mortality. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reports that, in 2022/23, there were approximately 210,000 emergency hospital admissions in England related to falls among people aged 65 years old and over.

Our Adult Social Care Technology Fund sought to identify care-focused technology solutions that have the potential for wider rollout within the sector, providing evidence to prioritise investments in care technology. Emerging evidence from Government-funded independent evaluations indicates that artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies, such as the Nobi smart lamp, help people live at home for longer and can prevent falls and “long lies” in care homes by between 37% and 49%, as well as reduce hospital admissions and free up staff time. The evaluation reports will be published on a rolling basis from May 2026.

The Government recognises the potential of digital and AI‑enabled technologies to support prevention and improve outcomes in adult social care. In the next year, we will set new standards for care technologies, including falls technologies, and develop trusted guidance so that people and care providers know which technologies are fit for purpose, secure, and compatible with the wider health and social care systems in the future. This will support care providers and people to make more informed, long-term investment decisions. We have commissioned NICE to develop a new evidence standards framework for adult social care technologies which builds on the strong foundations of NICE’s Evidence Standards Framework for digital health technologies.

To support the responsible use of AI, we have published guidance for care providers outlining relevant use cases and considerations for safe and ethical adoption. NHS England has published guidance and standards to support the responsible adoption of AI, and operates within a strong regulatory and assurance framework, working with bodies including the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NICE, the Health Research Authority, and the Care Quality Commission. We are also setting out the Government’s strategic approach to AI in adult social care, alongside its approach to AI in health, through the National AI Roadmap, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.