AQW 23578/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 28/02/2025
Answered On Date: 20/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any consideration that has been given to trialling the use of Artificial Intelligence for triaging and booking GP appointments.

Answer:

As independent contractors, and clinical professionals, GPs are responsible for making appropriate decisions about the treatment, care and management of individual patients. This also means that decisions about the day to day running of the surgery, including the use of technology, telephony and the appointment system, are determined locally by the GP practice within the constraints of their available workforce.

As GPs utilise commercial software suppliers to handle Practice Management and Patient Records Management, these suppliers would be best placed to consider how the integration of AI based tools into their existing solutions could assist GPs in the delivery of their work.

There would however need to be extensive consideration and evaluation of cybersecurity and information governance controls that would need to be provided in any future AI tool, as there is the need to assure public that their information is correctly protected.