Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in the development and use of artificial intelligence in the UK healthcare sector.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading on the Prime Minister’s Mission to “Use data, Artificial Intelligence and innovation to transform the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases by 2030.” We hope that as we work towards this overall goal, we can ensure that: patients experience better care, clinicians deliver better care, commissioners are better able to commission data-driven technologies and the United Kingdom is a great place to do business in artificial intelligence (AI) for health and care.

We are working in partnership with organisations across the National Health Service, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Office for Life Sciences, Office for Artificial Intelligence and Better Regulation Executive to engage with businesses in the sector so that we benefit from the potential for AI to improve care, deliver better outcomes, contribute to efficiency in the health and care system and contribute to the wider economy. In September 2018, we published the Code of Conduct for Data-Driven Health and Care Technology, which clearly sets out the behaviours we expect from those developing AI and related technologies. The Code was updated in February 2019 based on feedback, including from industry partners, and we are working with them to develop case studies showing good practice in complying with the Code. We are also developing tools to help businesses comply with the Code of Conduct.

The Office for Artificial Intelligence and UK Research and Innovation have announced centres for doctoral training in AI-enabled healthcare across the UK.

The Office for Life Sciences has established five Centres of Excellence in digital pathology and radiology with AI, supported by an initial £50 million Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund investment and a further £50 million of scale up funding from the Department of Health and Social Care. The centres are working with NHS and industry partners, including innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, to develop pioneering AI-enabled pathology and radiology tools.

In addition we are also working closely with Health Education England as they follow through on the recommendations made by the Topol Review Preparing the healthcare workforce to deliver the digital future.

In March 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published its Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies, outlining the evidence required by businesses to demonstrate the effectiveness and economic impact of digital health technologies.

Taken together these steps, and others, will ensure there is a clear framework for the development and use of AI in the healthcare sector including the skills, a clear path to market, and a rigorous process for ensuring the safety, efficacy and ethics of the tools developed, deployed and used.