Merge pull request #2438 from nhsuk/AI-updates

Update service standard points re align with GOV on AI requirements

Author: colinrotherham

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 
 - Add guidance on writing NHS messages to the content guide
 
+:wrench: **Maintenance**
+
+- Update service standard points 2, 6, 11 and 14 with AI requirements to align with GOV standard
+- Update links to DAPB standard
+
 ## 8.6.1 - 26 January 2026
 
 :wrench: **Maintenance**

app/views/content/how-to-write-good-questions-for-forms/make-sure-you-need-each-question.njk

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     summaryText: "Example: signatures"
   }) %}
     <p>Paper forms often ask for a signature but not many organisations authenticate them. Does your service need a signature and if so, how will you check the user's identity?</p>
-    <p>If you do have to verify and authenticate individuals, read <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/information-standards/governance/latest-activity/standards-and-collections/dcb3051-identity-verification-and-authentication-standard-for-digital-health-and-care-services/">NHS England's Identity verification and authentication standard for digital health and care services, DAPB3051 (previously DCB3051)</a>.</p>
+    <p>If you do have to verify and authenticate individuals, read <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/information-standards/governance/latest-activity/standards-and-collections/dapb3051-identity-verification-and-authentication-standard-for-digital-health-and-care-services">NHS England's DAPB3051: Identity verification and authentication standard for health and care digital, data, analytics and technology use (previously DCB3051)</a>.</p>
   {% endcall %}
 
   <p>All the data you capture is subject to data protection legislation, including GDPR.  Get specialist advice on protecting users' confidentiality and privacy from your business and information risk teams (for example, senior information risk owners and information asset owners). This is another reason to collect as little data as possible.</p>

app/views/content/writing-nhs-messages.njk

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         <ul class="app-side-nav__list app-side-nav__list--nested">
           <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#who-this-guidance-is-for">Who this guidance is for</a></li>
           <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#writing-effective-messages">Writing effective messages</a></li>
-          <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#how-to-write-for-different-channels">How to write for different channels</a></li>
+          <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#writing-for-different-channels">Writing for different channels</a></li>
           <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#nhs-app-messages">NHS App messages</a></li>
           <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#text-messages">Text messages</a></li>
           <li class="app-side-nav__item"><a class="app-side-nav__link" href="#emails">Emails</a></li>
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 {% call insetText({
   classes: "nhsuk-u-margin-top-4"
 }) %}
-  <p>If you need guidance on messaging strategy, governance requirements, or using NHS Notify visit the <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-messaging-best-practice">NHS Messaging best practice section of the NHS England website</a>.</p>
+  <p>If you need guidance on messaging strategy, governance requirements, or using NHS Notify visit the <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/services/messaging-best-practice">Messaging best practice section of the NHS England website</a>.</p>
 {% endcall %}
 
 <p>Use this guidance if you want to:</p>
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
   <li>find examples and templates to reference when writing your message</li>
 </ul>
 <p>It was developed with input from clinical safety, governance and delivery teams across NHS England. It brings together established writing standards and findings from user research into how NHS messages are read and understood.</p>
-<p>It sits alongside the NHS Messaging best practice section of the NHS England website so teams can plan, write and send messages in a joined-up and consistent way.</p>
+<p>It sits alongside the Messaging best practice section of the NHS England website so teams can plan, write and send messages in a joined-up and consistent way.</p>
 
 <h2 id="writing-effective-messages">Writing effective messages</h2>
 <p>When writing your message always consider the needs of the patient, any clinical safety requirements and the channel you are using to send the message.</p>
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
   <li>test your messages with users before sending them</li>
 </ul>
 
-<h2 id="how-to-write-for-different-channels">Writing for different channels</h2>
+<h2 id="writing-for-different-channels">Writing for different channels</h2>
 
 <p>If your service has a fallback strategy you may be required to write the same message for multiple channels.</p>
 <p>Writing messages specifically for the channel means users are more likely to understand and engage with important health-related requests or advice. For example, copying and pasting the contents of a letter into a text message or NHS App message is bad practice as this can create formatting issues and could result in a poor user experience.</p>
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
 
   <ul>
     <li>conversational tone – "Dear ((firstName))"</li>
-    <li>reassuring tone – "Dear ((firstName))((lastName))"</li>
+    <li>reassuring tone – "Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName))"</li>
   </ul>
 </div>
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
   classes: "nhsuk-expander"
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS Screening</p>
-<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName))</p>
+<p>Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName))</p>
 <p>We're inviting you to do a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) at home.</p>
 <p>HPV is the name of a very common group of viruses. They do not cause any problems in most people, but high-risk types can cause cervical cancer.</p>
 <p><strong>Why you're being invited</strong></p>
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@
 
 <p>If you include links in your text message make sure they:</p>
 <ul>
-  <li>go to trusted sites such as the NHS.UK or GOV.UK</li>
+  <li>go to trusted sites such as NHS.UK or GOV.UK</li>
   <li>are human readable, for example, http://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments</li>
   <li>include the full URL</li>
   <li>do not contain any personal information such as the patient's name or NHS number</li>
@@ -262,15 +262,15 @@
   classes: "nhsuk-expander"
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS Blood Test</p>
-<p>((firstName))((lastName)), you are due for your NHS blood test. Book your appointment or find out more at <a href="#">http://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a></p>
+<p>((firstName)) ((lastName)), you are due for your NHS blood test. Book your appointment or find out more at <a href="#">http://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a></p>
 {% endcall %}
 
 {% call details({
   summaryText: "Example 2 of an NHS text message",
   classes: "nhsuk-expander"
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS App</p>
-<p>((firstName))((lastName))</p>
+<p>((firstName)) ((lastName))</p>
 <p>You have a new secure message from the NHS.</p>
 <p>Open the NHS App to read it.</p>
 <p>Or you can log in through the website: <a href="#">https://www.nhs.uk/inbox</a></p>
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@
   classes: "nhsuk-expander"
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS vaccination invitations</p>
-<p>((firstName))((lastName))</p>
+<p>((firstName)) ((lastName))</p>
 <p>You can get your free NHS winter COVID-19 vaccine because of your age.</p>
 <p>Book on the NHS App or at <a href="#">http://www.nhs.uk/book-covid</a></p>
 <p>Cannot get online? Phone 119. Translators are available. Contact your GP surgery if you need a home visit.</p>
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@
 
 <p><a href="https://notify.nhs.uk/using-nhs-notify/tell-recipients-who-your-messages-are-from#email-sender-name-and-from-email-address">Read more about email sender name and from email address on the NHS Notify website</a>.</p>
 
-<p>For the email subject line use something specific like "Your GP appointment reminder" or "NHS vaccination invitation" rather than a generic "NHS invite". Keeping subject lines short will make your email stand out in a patient's inbox and more likely to be opened and read.</p>
+<p>For the email subject line use something specific like "Your GP appointment reminder" or "NHS vaccination invitation" rather than a generic "NHS invite". Keeping subject lines short will make your email stand out in a patient's inbox and is more likely to be opened and read.</p>
 
 <h3 id="email-message-examples">Email message examples</h3>
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS ((serviceName))</p>
 <p>Subject: NHS ((serviceName)) invitation</p>
-<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName)),</p>
+<p>Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName)),</p>
 <p>We are inviting you for your NHS ((serviceName)) appointment.</p>
 <p>Find more information about your ((serviceName)) invite, including how to book your appointment: <a href="#">https://www.nhs.uk/service-name-invite</a>.</p>
 <p>Yours sincerely,</p>
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@
 }) %}
 <p><strong>SenderID:</strong> NHS vaccination invitations</p>
 <p>Subject: Booking your NHS winter COVID-19 vaccination</p>
-<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName)),</p>
+<p>Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName)),</p>
 <p>You can book a free winter NHS COVID-19 vaccination because you are aged 75 or over (or will be by 31 January 2026).</p>
 <p><strong>How to get your COVID-19 vaccination</strong></p>
 <ul>
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
 }) %}
 <p><strong>Reference number -</strong></p>
 <p><strong>NHS number -</strong> ((NHS number))</p>
-<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName)),</p>
+<p>Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName)),</p>
 <p><strong>Confirm your address with NHS England</strong></p>
 <p>We are writing to you to confirm if the home address the NHS holds for you is up to date.</p>
 <p>If we do not receive the information we need from you within 30 days of the date of this letter, it will be assumed that you have moved and we will begin the process of removing you from your GP surgery’s patient list. This means you will not receive important information about your healthcare and will no longer be registered with a GP surgery.</p>
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@
 <p>Date: DD MONTH YYYY</p>
 <p>Your NHS number: ((NHS number))</p>
 <p><strong>Booking your measles, mumps and rubella vaccination</strong></p>
-<p>Dear ((firstName))((lastName)),</p>
+<p>Dear ((firstName)) ((lastName)),</p>
 <p>Measles cases are increasing in England, so it's important you are fully vaccinated.</p>
 <p>We're inviting you to book a free measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. This is because your NHS record suggests you have not completed your two-dose course of the MMR vaccine. You need 2 doses for the best protection against measles, mumps and rubella.</p>
 <p>These illnesses spread easily between unvaccinated people. Infection can lead to serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy.</p>

app/views/standards-and-technology/service-standard-points/11-choose-the-right-tools-and-technology.njk

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {% set pageSection = "Standards and technology" %}
 {% set subSection = "NHS service standard" %}
 {% set pageDescription = "Choose tools and technology that let you build a good service in an efficient, cost effective way." %}
-{% set dateUpdated = "January 2026" %}
+{% set dateUpdated = "February 2026" %}
 {% set backlog_issue_id = "354" %}
 
 {% block beforeContent %}
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@
   <ul>
     <li>use appropriate tools and technologies to create and operate a good service in a cost effective way – for example, by automating things where possible</li>
     <li>use HTML5 by default</li>
-    <li>have made good decisions about what technology to reuse or build and what to buy</li>
+    <li>have made good decisions about what technology to reuse or build and what to buy, including use of common platforms where appropriate</li>
+    <li>understand how the technology you use works, including emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI)</li>
     <li>understand tech decisions that have been made outside your team and challenge these decisions where it will improve the service</li>
     <li>understand total cost of ownership of the technology and have kept the ability to make different choices in future – for example, reducing the chances of getting locked into contracts for specific tools and suppliers by using open standards</li>
     <li>encourage team members to challenge existing processes and re-use resources</li>
     <li>use standard NHS technology components where possible, for example: the <a href="/standards-and-technology/technology/NHS-login">NHS login</a> to authenticate identity and the <a href="/standards-and-technology/technology/personal-demographics-service-PDS">Personal Demographics Service (PDS)</a> to manage patient demographic data</li>
     <li>have an effective approach to managing any legacy technology the service integrates with or depends on</li>
+    <li>consider how the technology will affect user experience and inclusion – for example, avoid situations where your technology choices might reduce the reliability of information given to users or decisions made about them</li>
     <li>use the <a href="https://www.digitalregulations.innovation.nhs.uk/">AI and Digital Regulations Service website</a> to help you make decisions about buying digital healthcare technologies</li>
   </ul>
 
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@
     <li><a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/developer/architecture/principles/deliver-sustainable-services">All digital services need to be delivered sustainably – part of NHS architecture principles (NHS England)</a></li>
     <li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-conduct-for-data-driven-health-and-care-technology/initial-code-of-conduct-for-data-driven-health-and-care-technology">A guide to good practice for digital and data-driven health technologies</a> (Department of Health and Social Care)</li>
     <li><a href="https://developer.nhs.uk/">Developer and integration hub</a> (NHS England)</li>
-    <li><a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/information-standards/governance/latest-activity/standards-and-collections/dapb3051-identity-verification-and-authentication-standard-for-digital-health-and-care-services">Identity verification and authentication standard for digital health and care services, DAPB3051 (NHS England, previously DCB3051)</a></li>
+    <li><a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/information-standards/governance/latest-activity/standards-and-collections/dapb3051-identity-verification-and-authentication-standard-for-digital-health-and-care-services">DAPB3051: Identity verification and authentication standard for health and care digital, data, analytics and technology use (NHS England, previously DCB3051)</a></li>
     <li><a href="https://greenerservices.github.io/">Sustainable by design: greener service principles</a>, produced by Defra and other government departments</li>
     <li><a href="https://w3c.github.io/sustainableweb-wsg/">Web sustainability guidelines (W3C)</a></li>
   </ul>

app/views/standards-and-technology/service-standard-points/14-operate-a-reliable-service.njk

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {% set pageSection = "Standards and technology" %}
 {% set subSection = "NHS service standard" %}
 {% set pageDescription = "People need the NHS 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Minimise service downtime and have a plan to deal with it when it does happen." %}
-{% set dateUpdated = "December 2019" %}
+{% set dateUpdated = "February 2026" %}
 {% set backlog_issue_id = "357" %}
 
 {% block beforeContent %}
@@ -21,9 +21,10 @@
   <ul>
     <li>maximise uptime and speed of response for the online part of the service</li>
     <li>deploy software changes regularly, without significant downtime</li>
-    <li>carry out quality assurance testing regularly</li>
+    <li>carry out quality assurance testing regularly – your team must oversee this and not leave it to automated tools</li>
     <li>test the service in an environment that's as similar to live as possible</li>
     <li>have appropriate monitoring in place, together with a proportionate, sustainable plan to respond to problems identified by monitoring (given the impact of problems on users and on the NHS)</li>
+    <li>monitor outcomes for users and ethical issues such as bias, not just technical faults</li>
     <li>actively work towards fixing any organisational or contractual issues which make it difficult to maximise availability (for example, by agreeing a common set of languages, tools, and ways of working for technical staff)</li>
     </ul>
 

app/views/standards-and-technology/service-standard-points/2-and-3-work-towards-solving-a-whole-problem-and-provide-a-joined-up-experience.njk

@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 {% set pageTitle = "2. and 3. Work towards solving a whole problem for users and provide a joined up experience across all channels" %}
 {% set pageSection = "Standards and technology" %}
 {% set subSection = "NHS service standard" %}
-{% set pageDescription = "Consider where your service fits in your users' healthcare journey and whether you can solve a whole problem or influence a wider solution." %}
-{% set dateUpdated = "January 2026" %}
+{% set pageDescription = "Work towards creating a service that solves a whole problem or influences a wider solution for users, working with other teams and organisations where necessary. Design and develop your service around the needs of users, not around technologies or pre-selected solutions. This includes generative artificial intelligence (AI) and commercial-off-the-shelf products." %}
+{% set dateUpdated = "February 2026" %}
 {% set backlog_issue_id = "337" %}
 
 {% block beforeContent %}
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
   <p>Your team should be able to show that you:</p>
   <ul>
     <li>understand where the user need you're addressing fits into wider healthcare journeys or how it will join up with other things to solve a whole problem for users</li>
+    <li>check if the problem you're trying to solve has been solved by anyone else, and reuse existing solutions where possible (including emerging technologies and AI)</li>
     <li>make it easy for users to focus on the next step in a journey or in managing their health, helping them get the right help from the right place at the right time</li>
     <li>are addressing any problems with internal processes, policy or legislation that make it difficult to join things up and to address a whole problem</li>
     <li>work with front line and admin staff, where appropriate, and invite them and policy people to attend user research and to contribute to decisions</li>

app/views/standards-and-technology/service-standard-points/6-create-a-team-that-includes-multidisciplinary-skills-and-perspectives.njk

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 {% set pageSection = "Standards and technology" %}
 {% set subSection = "NHS service standard" %}
 {% set pageDescription = "Make sure you have the right – and diverse – skills and roles to build and operate the service." %}
-{% set dateUpdated = "March 2022" %}
+{% set dateUpdated = "February 2026" %}
 {% set backlog_issue_id = "340" %}
 
 {% block beforeContent %}
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     <li>will help you deal with what you believe are your riskiest assumptions</li>
   </ul>
   <p>If the team is working with contractors and outside suppliers, you must make sure it's on a sustainable basis.</p>
-
+  <p>If your service uses artificial intelligence (AI), you must have someone on or available to the team who fully understands how it works and the impact of using it.</p>
   <h2>Guidance</h2>
   <h3>NHS service manual</h3>
   <p>See also service standard point <a href="/standards-and-technology/service-standard-points/16-make-your-service-clinically-safe">16: Make your service clinically safe</a></p>