Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers exciting opportunities to enhance healthcare in Scotland from improving diagnostic accuracy to enabling more personalised and preventative care. However, adopting AI safely and effectively within health and social care systems presents complex challenges that must be carefully navigated.
The Service Renewal Framework published by Scottish Government and COSLA in June 2025 included a commitment to develop a policy framework for the safe, efficient, and ethical application of AI across health and social care. It is also part of the Health and Social Care Data Strategy which emphasises the connection with other work on improving data access and quality.
Scottish Government, COSLA and Local Government Digital Office are working together to develop the policy framework which aims to streamline the key legal and policy requirements which provide safeguards around different aspects of AI development, deployment, and use. This is intended to support the safe and responsible adoption of AI into our health and social care services in ways that improve outcomes for individuals and/or reduce pressures on our workforce.
During Summer 2025, COSLA, Local Government Digital Office and Scottish Government facilitated roundtables with representatives from Local Government and Health Boards to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding the adoption of AI in health and social care. There were calls for greater regional and, where possible, national coordination in key areas which build on existing work and programmes in digital health and care, including:
- Strategy: Developing a shared strategy for harnessing AI innovations and can prioritise investment in deployment areas in the medium and long term.
- Governance: Improving AI governance and risk management within the sector and including the public, particularly those most at risk of harms caused by AI.
- Procurement: Where possible, adopting shared approaches to procurement of AI within health and social care.
- Workforce: In addition to work on data and digital capabilities supporting AI literacy, capacity building and leadership across the health and social care workforce.
In October 2025, we held the below information webinar which kicked off our engagement on the draft AI policy framework. There are a wide range of organisations and expertise which need to help shape the policy framework. We are aiming to publish the framework in early 2026.