Health Services: Artificial Intelligence

The 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan commit the Government to making the National Health Service become the most artificial intelligence (AI)-ready healthcare system in the world.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will review regulations, and in 2026 we will publish a new regulatory framework for medical devices, including AI. This will create faster and more predictable routes to market, taking a proportionate approach to risk.

To mitigate the likelihood and severity of any potential harm to individuals arising from use of data in AI, the Information Commissioner’s Office has developed detailed AI guidance which provides an overarching view of data protection, including Data Protection Impact Assessments and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations. It has also produced an AI toolkit to support organisations auditing compliance of their AI-based technologies.

On cyber security more widely, in the past year we have invested £37.6 million across health and social care, building on the £338 million invested since 2017. Through our ambitious Cyber Improvement Programme, we are tackling the changing cyber risk head-on, expanding protection and services to better protect the health and care system.

Through the Data Security and Protection Toolkit, there are already robust cyber standards which all NHS organisations are expected to meet. These standards will apply to the deployment of artificial intelligence capabilities, as with any other new technology. These standards will continue to evolve in line with the threat over the next ten years.