FOI 25-384 AI Usage in SAS

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-384 AI Usage in SAS
Request Date
05 Sep 2025
Response Date
24 Sep 2025
Information Requested

I am writing to request information under freedom of information legislation, regarding your organisation's use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology/technologies.   

 

I would be grateful if you could provide the following detail: 

 

1) AI Systems in use 

  • A list of tools, platforms or systems currently deployed or being piloted/trialled. 
  • The purpose and function of each of the above. 
  • The departments or services where these are operational. 

2) Procurement and development 

  • Details of any contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions. 
  • Total expenditure on AI related technologies over the past three financial years, broken down by year. 

3) Governance and Ethical Oversight 

  • Copies of, or information relating to, any internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents relating to the use of AI. 
  • Any ethical review processes or risk assessments conducted prior to deployment. 
  • Details of any group responsible for the oversight of AI use within your organisation. 

4) Impact on Workforce 

  • Any assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning (including recruitment, redundancy). 
  • Information on any roles that have been automated, restructured or made redundant due to AI implementation. 
  • Details of any training, redeployment or upskilling initiatives offered to staff in response to the adoption of AI. 
  • Any consultations with trade unions or staff representatives regarding AI-related changes. 

5) Performance and Evaluation 

  • Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1. 
  • Evidence of how AI systems have affected service delivery, decision-making or operational efficiency. 

6) Data protection and privacy 

  • Types of data used to train or operate AI systems, including whether this data is synthetic or not. 
  • Measures in place to ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the DPA 2018 and UK GDPR. 
  • Procedures for handling bias, transparency and accountability in AI decision-making. 

 

If any of the above information is already publicly accessible, please provide details as to where this information can be accessed and if any clarification is required, please contact me ASAP. 

Response

1) AI Systems in use 

A list of tools, platforms or systems currently deployed or being piloted/trialled. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot is in trial with ~80 people 

 

The purpose and function of each of the above. 

Content creation, meeting summaries, information retrieval 

 

The departments or services where these are operational. 

Airwave Team, Business Intelligence, Chief Executive Office, Community Resilience, Corporate Affairs, Divisional HQ – EC, Divisional HQ – WC, Dundee Workshop, East ACC, East SORT, Education & Professional Development Department, Event Planning, Financial Accounts, FLEET, IT & Computer Support, Major Trauma – West, Management Accounts, Medical Director Office, Mental Health, NRRD 

Operations, Planning/Estates Department, Procurement Department, Research, Development & Innovation 

SCOTSTAR, Strategic Planning, Strategy - Planning & Programmes, West ACC, Workforce Directorate 

 

2) Procurement and development 

Details of any contracts, tenders or partnerships with external providers for AI solutions. 

Total expenditure on AI related technologies over the past three financial years, broken down by year. 

We have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002, as information not held by the Scottish Ambulance Service.  This contract is a national contract held by NHS National Services Scotland Freedom of information | National Services Scotland 

3) Governance and Ethical Oversight 

Copies of, or information relating to, any internal policies, frameworks or guidance documents relating to the use of AI. 

The Scottish Government advises on use of AI as set out in various strategies; namely, Scotland's Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Data Strategy for Health and Social Care and Digital Health and Care Strategy. Specific guidance can be directed from the department of Health and Social Care for applied AI use, such as the memo here: DG Health and Social Care (Acting).dot. 

 

Any ethical review processes or risk assessments conducted prior to deployment. 

SAS had virtual meetings with the Information Commissioner's Office - the UK Regulator for information/data - to seek advice on risk for the commercial AI audio product. The 32 item ICO AI and Data Protection Risk Toolkit was completed, as well as an NHS Scotland Data Protection Impact Assessment was completed prior to beginning this pilot. No software was or has been deployed. 

 

Details of any group responsible for the oversight of AI use within your organisation. 

The use of AI is informed by staff with the appropriate technical, governance and operational skills.. 

4) Impact on Workforce 

Any assessments, reports or internal communications regarding the impact of AI on staffing levels, job roles or workforce planning (including recruitment, redundancy). 

No bespoke AI product is being evaluated to do this. 

 

Information on any roles that have been automated, restructured or made redundant due to AI implementation. 

No bespoke AI product is being evaluated to do this. Microsoft CoPilot offers NHS Scotland the ability to automate administrative functions, such as those carried out in applications (Word, Excel, Planner, Power BI etc)  

 

Details of any training, redeployment or upskilling initiatives offered to staff in response to the adoption of AI. 

No bespoke AI product is being evaluated to redeploy staff. As part of the fabric of Microsoft, training is offered to NHS Scotland staff to learn about the M365 suite of applications and its uses. 

 

Any consultations with trade unions or staff representatives regarding AI-related changes. 

Microsoft has been rolled out across all of NHS Scotland as core business without reference to any specific trade union issue 

5) Performance and Evaluation 

Evaluations, audits or performance reviews of AI systems, as referenced in section 1. 

None so far. These would be carried out by NHS National Services Scotland. 

 

Evidence of how AI systems have affected service delivery, decision-making or operational efficiency. 

None. 

6) Data protection and privacy 

Types of data used to train or operate AI systems, including whether this data is synthetic or not. 

NHS NSS would carry this out as part of the national procurement to gain a statement from Microsoft in regard to how the model is put together. 

 

Measures in place to ensure compliance with data protection legislation, including the DPA 2018 and UK GDPR. 

NHS NSS would carry this out as part of the national procurement to gain a statement from Microsoft in regard to how the model is put together. 

 

Procedures for handling bias, transparency and accountability in AI decision-making. 

The Scottish Ambulance Service staff are advised that all judgements should be their own and AI is an assistant rather than a decision maker. Any content used that was generated by AI is the responsibility of the person using it. 

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