Written questions by Collins.

What steps his Department is taking to monitor quality control of new AI products used in the NHS to ensure (a) value for money and (b) return on investment.

Against a backdrop of increasing demand for National Health Services and significant workforce pressures, artificial intelligence (AI) presents significant opportunities for improving the delivery of care and outcomes for patients, while also saving money and staff time.Continuous monitoring after deployment is essential to ensure rigorous quality control of new AI products, value for money, and return on investment. The Department is working closely with regulators to identify new measures for providing assurance.The Department has launched regulatory projects, such as the AI Airlock, to support this aim. AI Airlock is a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency-led initiative designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, value for money, and integration into existing healthcare workflows. This initiative provides valuable feedback for developers to refine their products to ensure a return on investment, when eventually deployed into the NHS.In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), sponsored by the Department, evaluates new health technologies for NHS use, considering clinical effectiveness and value for money. As part of this, the NICE conducts Early Value Assessments (EVA) for developers, reviewing their AI tools, including their value for money and return on investment, before they are deployed. For the NHS, EVAs aim to give the NHS a clear signal about which innovations work, offer good value for money, and meet system need.In the United Kingdom, the vast majority of AI products being used in health and care are regulated as medical technologies. This means they are subject to stringent requirements, primarily set out in The Medical Devices Regulations 2002, and robust monitoring by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency.The responsibility for spending decisions rests with individual NHS trusts. As public bodies, NHS trusts should maintain the highest standards of rigour, value for money, and propriety in the use of public funding. All spending must contribute to organisational objectives and support the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Whether the (a) 10 Year Health Plan and (b) Long-Term Workforce Plan will link to the AI Opportunities Plan.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan we are reviewing how the National Health Service should focus its resources to ensure that it maximises the impact of data and technology. This includes how we can make life easier and more productive for those who work in the NHS, and how we can use data more effectively to plan, manage and deliver services. This will also be reflected in the refreshed Long-Term Workforce Plan.Artificial intelligence (AI) will play an important role in achieving this long-term ambition, allowing clinicians to focus more on direct patient care and allowing staff to spend more time on high value, high impact tasks. The AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out a desire to shape the AI revolution on principles of shared economic prosperity, improved public services, and increased personal opportunities.

What steps he is taking to ensure public engagement with AI implementation in the NHS.

As part of Government’s five long-term missions, the Department has launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out an agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from hospital to the community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.In addition to launching the online platform, change.NHS.UK, there have been many events across England, which included people and staff from different backgrounds and experiences. In-depth deliberations with the public will consider their priorities and expectations on the three shifts, including their views on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Further information on the change.NHS.UK website is available at the following link:www.change.NHS.ukThe Department also engages with Understanding Patient Data (UPD) to ensure that we consider the patient in our policy and strategic thinking. UPD provides objective information about how patient data is used and brings the views of patients and the public to us, to ensure data is being managed and used in ways that are worthy of public trust. Further information on UPD is available at the following link:https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/As part of its work on AI, the NHS AI Lab and Sciencewise, within UK Research and Innovation, held a public dialogue on how the public believes decisions should be made about access to their personal health data for AI purposes. The AI Lab conducted a discovery exercise to design approaches based on insights from the public, which is now informing broader data stewardship initiatives, for example, as part of the Secure Data Environments.In addition, NHS England has recruited patient representatives, Patient and Public Voice Partners, for the AI Advisory Committee on Responsible AI Adoption, to ensure that the committee considers the views of service users, patients, and the public in its advice to the system on the development and delivery of AI.

If his Department will establish a standard process for the implementation of AI applications in the NHS.

The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the National Health Service is still at a relatively early stage. To address this, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are implemented across the NHS.The Department is supporting the NHS to adopt the latest innovations in digital technology, such as AI. £2 billion has been allocated to digitise the NHS and £113 million has been provided to accelerate the evaluation and deployment of the most promising AI technologies.Additionally, the Department has supported the launch of regulatory projects to begin to create a standardized process for AI implementation, such as with the AI and Digital Regulation Service (AIDRS) and the AI Airlock.The AIDRS, in partnership with healthcare regulators, gives innovators and health and care providers a one-stop-shop for support, information, and guidance on the regulatory and evaluation pathways that need to be followed before an AI tool can be safely implemented across the NHS. The AI Airlock is a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-led initiative, supported by the NHS AI Lab, designed to create a controlled testing environment where developers can rigorously validate AI tools in real-world clinical settings before full-scale deployment, ensuring they meet NHS standards for safety, efficacy, and integration into existing healthcare workflows.Following the announcement of the Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have been working with Prime Minister's Office to develop specific proposals of how they will promote the implementation of AI. This includes using a Scan, Pilot, Scale model approach to investing and supporting AI development, to ensure that useful AI tools are quickly identified, tested and, where successful, implemented to improve the lives of United Kingdom citizens.

What funding will be made available to NHS trusts to integrate AI technology.

The NHS AI Lab has already provided £113 million, through the NHS AI Health and Care Awards, to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which have been used in 40% of National Health Service acute trusts in England and hundreds of Primary Care Networks across the United Kingdom. The awards have helped accelerate the testing and evaluation of AI technologies and developed an evidence base to support the commissioning of technologies that are clinically safe and cost effective. Many of these AI technologies are being tested and evaluated in NHS England to aid clinical decision-making, healthcare diagnostics, and imaging. For example, the Department is focusing the £21 million AI Diagnostic Fund on the deployment of technologies in key, high-demand areas such as chest x-ray and chest computed tomography scans, to enable faster diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in over half of acute trusts in England.In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, sponsored by the Department, has funded an £11 million trial, which will use artificial intelligence for breast cancer screening. The trial will be launched across the country and showcases our commitment to embracing innovative technologies in healthcare.The Department is also supporting the NHS to adopt the latest innovations in digital technology, such as artificial intelligence, with £2 billion having been allocated to digitise the NHS. All future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be dependent on the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review process, which will conclude and be published in late spring of 2025.

Whether he plans to issue guidance to ensure that people diagnosed with ADHD through private healthcare can access NHS prescriptions without additional assessment.

General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services within the National Health Service. The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidance on “Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content”. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities, which is available at the following link:https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/shared-careNHS clinicians therefore need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.

Whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of extending the Start for Life programme to (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) other local authorities that do not receive funding through the programme.

The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change outlined that there will be investment to continue to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. In 2025/26, this investment will fund the 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation that are part of the existing programme.Due to the challenging fiscal context, we have had to make difficult decisions for 2025/26, and only those areas currently in the scheme will receive Start for Life funding. We will continue to evaluate the programme and assess evidence to support wider rollout in future financial years.

Whether he plans to extend free NHS dental repairs to teeth damaged by seizures from epilepsy.

Free National Health Service dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria: under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, keeping in mind that patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/Community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs and are available in a variety of places to ensure everyone can have access to dental care. These include hospitals, specialists’ health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. These services may be available to people with epilepsy, depending on their needs.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of activity blades for amputees over 18.

Prosthetics services are overseen by NHS England. They do not commission activity blades for amputees over 18 years old, and have no current plans change this.Currently, NHS England provides adult amputees primary prostheses, activity limbs, and adaptatio...

Whether his Department plans to introduce measures to improve patient safety in non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector, and will set out the details of its approach at the earliest opportunity.

Whether he plans to carry out Vorasidenib trials on patients that have undergone (a) radiotherapy and (b) chemotherapy.

Research is crucial in tackling brain cancer, which is why the Department spends £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as one of the largest areas of i...

Whether he is taking steps to include brain tumours in personalised mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies research.

Between 2018 and 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has directly invested £11.3 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. This has enabled 227 brain cancer research studies to take place. Brain can...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan for London to the East of England.

The Department is not planning to make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan, as this would be a decision for local determination by commissioners and their providers.As we work towards a single patient record, we will...

If he will introduce a statutory guarantee of regular respite breaks for unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing.Local authorities have duties to support peop...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) integration and (b) coordination of end of life care services.

The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure that patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a b...

What steps he is taking to help tackle inequalities in maternal mortality rates for (a) Black women and (b) women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

It is unacceptable that there are such stark inequalities in maternal outcomes. The Government is committed to closing the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We are urgently considering the immediate action needed to tackle inequalities for women and...

What steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of full-time community palliative and end of life care.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families...

For what reason vosoritide is not available for the treatment of achondroplasia in children.

Voxzogo has not been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Should an application for Voxzogo, or any product containing the active ingredient vosoritide, be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly, with rega...

What steps he is taking to increase funding available for pancreatic cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR's research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 millio...

If he will launch a nationwide review of neonatal (a) mortality rates and (b) unexplained deaths.

The Government has no current plans to launch a nationwide review of neonatal mortality rates and unexplained deaths. Professor Lord Darzi’s report on his independent investigation of the National Health Service in England has shone a light on the critica...