General educational information and FAIRE’s interpretation of the linked sources. This is not legal, clinical or regulatory advice. Read the disclaimer.
What the guidance is
HIQA published its final national guidance on 29 July 2026, following the earlier draft consultation. The guidance is intended to support the responsible and safe use of artificial intelligence in health and social care. It offers a common way to think about AI in a setting where decisions, records and relationships can affect people's health and dignity.
This is HIQA guidance, not a FAIRE framework. The practical interpretation will depend on the tool, the task and the organisation using it.
Why healthcare is different
AI is becoming part of ordinary healthcare work, from drafting and summarising to tools that may support clinical activity. Healthcare organisations also handle highly sensitive information and operate within professional, safety and public-trust obligations.
Convenience is therefore only one part of the question. A use that looks routine in another business may have a different impact when it shapes a patient record, a communication or a clinical decision.
Four themes in plain language
- 01Accountability: someone needs to remain responsible for how AI is selected, used and reviewed. A system cannot carry professional or organisational responsibility on its own.
- 02Human rights-based approach: people affected by AI should be treated with dignity, fairness and respect. Patients should not become invisible behind a technical process.
- 03Safety and wellbeing: a tool being convenient does not automatically make it appropriate. Its use should not introduce avoidable risk to patients, staff or the quality of care.
- 04Responsiveness: organisations need to notice when circumstances, evidence or the technology changes, and be willing to adjust how the tool is used.
What should a practice do now?
- 01Do we know which AI tools are being used, including informal use?
- 02Who is responsible for their use and for reviewing the outputs?
- 03What information is being entered into each tool?
- 04Who checks AI-generated content before it is relied on or shared?
- 05What happens if the system produces something wrong?
FAIRE takeaway
The guidance does not require a practice to become an AI laboratory. FAIRE’s interpretation is that it supports a more deliberate conversation about responsibility, safety and the people affected. Knowing where AI is entering the practice is a sensible place to begin.