Written question asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated) on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 May 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Diagnosis

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of AI tools in supporting the early detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions; and what steps they are taking to support the safe and effective adoption of those technologies in the NHS.

Answer: The Government is actively deploying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across the National Health Service to support the earlier detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular conditions. We are supporting the safe and effective adoption of AI tools such as AI-assisted echocardiography, automated electrocardiogram interpretation and digital stethoscope recordings. We are supporting this through robust regulatory and assurance processes, closely aligned to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Evidence Standards Framework for Digital Health Technologies, ensuring that AI technologies are clinically validated and used to support, not replace, professional clinical judgement.

Secondary information