June 2nd 2026
The Care Quality Commission has set out their role, expectations and plans in relation to the use of AI in social care.
In their statement, CQC says:
“We do not assess or approve specific technologies but have a role in ensuring that technology including AI contributes to safe, effective and equitable care across all settings and services.
“Most regulations that we enforce have a role in making sure that innovative technologies including AI improve the quality of care and the outcomes for people using services.”
What this means for providers
CQC has said that using AI to provide health and social care in line with the regulations means providers must follow the following principles:
- AI to support, not to replace: AI can enhance, but not replace human decision making.
- Human oversight: AI outputs and processes are continuously monitored and evaluated.
- Transparency and choice: People who use services have appropriate information to make informed decisions about their care, including the role of AI in care pathways. Non-digital routes to care are offered if needed, also considering digital skills and connectivity.
- Safety and reliability: Providers ensure that introducing and using AI provides safe care and equitable outcomes for people.
- Security: The technology is resilient to cyber-attacks and sensitive information is stored and processed securely to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation.
- Fairness and impartiality: Good AI accelerates equity of care in terms of access and outcomes. For example, it provides accurate results across geographies and population groups and any potential known biases are mitigated.
- AI readiness and training: Those using AI are sufficiently trained and confident in using the technology, and they assess whether it can be integrated into existing pathways.
- Effective governance: There are effective mechanisms such as risk assessments to ensure AI contributes to high-quality, equitable care, and established systems to recognise, report and investigate when something goes wrong so that lessons are learned and solutions implemented.
- Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA): A DPIA assesses and documents risks to privacy and data subject rights to understand and minimise any interference with people’s rights, to enable lawful use of AI.
- Accountability: There are clear mechanisms for addressing issues or harm caused by AI.
- Procurement: AI tools are procured in line with relevant regulatory standards.
Digital Care Hub response
CQC’s statement has been welcomed by Digital Care Hub’s Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Corrigan:
“This reflects what the sector has been saying for some time: AI should support people who draw on and provide care, not replace human decision making. It’s also right that transparency and choice are central, so people understand how AI is being used and can access non-digital options where needed.”
Next steps
Alongside work on their new assessment frameworks, CQC are considering what the use of AI in health and social care means for how they regulate, for example for how they:
- Register: Where providers use technology, including AI, CQC needs to understand the impact on care provision so that they can support improvement by sharing examples of good, innovative care.
- Assess: Where providers use AI, CQC must know whether AI facilitates high-quality, equitable care. CQC is considering any implications on how they apply their new assessment frameworks and what additional guidance might be needed.
- Rate: The absence or presence of AI does not predict a specific rating.
- Enforce: This includes how CQC responds if AI causes risks to safety or access to care.
- Encourage improvement: CQC needs to be able to recognise when AI contributes to outstanding care to share examples of good and innovative practice.