Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Health to detail the (i) use; and (ii) development, by (a) her Department; and (b) its arm’s-length bodies, of Artificial Intelligence products.
Minister of Health: Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Generative AI in particular, presents significant opportunities to enhance both the productivity of the existing Health and Social Care (HSC) workforce and the quality of care delivered to service users. Potential benefits include freeing up staff capacity through improved communication tools and the development of personalised treatment plans.
The Department of Health’s Digital Strategy for Health and Social Care underpins this transformation, aiming to modernise service delivery through digital innovation. The development of a single electronic care record for every citizen, improving visibility and coordination of care across the system.
AI is already being applied in several clinical and operational areas with upcoming plans include testing AI algorithms to support referral and decision-making processes, scheduling and acquisition, reporting and triage, and the generation of alerts for results acknowledgement. However, these capabilities must be carefully balanced against potential risks particularly in relation to clinical efficacy and information governance. It is essential that any AI tools deployed are trustworthy and uphold the privacy and rights of patients and service users.
The successful adoption of advanced technologies such as AI and Generative AI depends on several key enablers:
High-quality, codified data that accurately reflects service users’ needs and historical treatments, which is essential for training AI models.
Robust clinical safety and ethical governance frameworks to oversee the safe and responsible introduction of AI tools.
Specialist skills in cloud engineering and cybersecurity, recognising that the computational demands of AI are often best met through cloud-based infrastructure.
Successful adoption of AI depends on high-quality data, strong governance, and cloud engineering skills. The HSC AI Steering Group and departmental working groups are actively reviewing opportunities and risks to ensure safe, responsible AI use for Northern Ireland citizens.
ENDS
Your MLA 