What clinics in Northern Ireland must do when an AI agent answers the phone.
RQIA regulates independent healthcare in Northern Ireland and registers private dental practices and cosmetic laser services as independent hospitals. The 2005 independent health care regulations set at least 10 years for most records, against a 6 year health department line for general dental services. England's under 18 injectables offences do not reach Northern Ireland, and we found no local equivalent.
Recording notice
Partly
AI disclosure
None found
Dental regulator statement
Partly
The rules in Northern Ireland
This is a guide for clinic owners, not legal advice. Every line points to the law or the regulator's own page, checked on 2026-11-14. Where we could not confirm something, the page says so.
How to read the labels. Yes, No and Partly rest on a law, rule or regulator statement we read. None found means we found no requirement or statement in the sources and pages we searched, which is not proof there is none. Not confirmed means the sources disagree or we could not read them. Where recording shows words instead, such as All parties, they give the rule in short form: whose consent is needed to record a call or to share the recording, or that the position is contested or not settled; each place page gives the full rule and its exceptions.
For every business
We found nothing in Northern Ireland that adds to the rules across the United Kingdom for this kind of business.
For clinics
What Northern Ireland adds to the rules across the United Kingdom.
Who is accountable for what the agent says and does?
PartlyRegistered providers must set up a complaints procedure, investigate fully and, within 28 days (sooner if reasonable), tell the complainant what is being done. A February 2026 ministerial statement (policy, not law) says a duty of candour bill is being progressed for health and social care bodies; its reach to independent clinics is unstated. A 16 or 17 year old's consent to treatment counts as an adult's, not under 16s.
For an AI agent: a complaint raised on a call belongs in the clinic's complaints procedure, and a 16 or 17 year old's consent covers treatment only, not under 16s.
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, reg 23 (complaints)“within 28 days after the date on which the complaint is made”
- Department of Health Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Assembly, written ministerial statement on quality and safety (2026-02-19)“My Department will keep policy in relation to a statutory Duty of Candour under review”
- legislation.gov.uk: Age of Majority Act (Northern Ireland) 1969, s 4“The consent of a minor who has attained the age of sixteen years to any surgical, medical or dental treatment”
Call notes, AI scribes and records
YesA registered independent health care provider must keep a comprehensive medical record for each patient for at least the Schedule 3 period: 10 years from the last entry in all other cases, with longer periods for some children and mental disorder cases. Part II records are separate. A Department of Health disposal schedule, which is guidance, has its own line for independent establishments and points to Schedule 3.
For an AI agent: a note or transcript that becomes part of the patient's medical record should be kept for the Schedule 3 period, which is longer for some children's records.
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, reg 21 (records)“a comprehensive medical record is maintained in relation to each patient”
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, Schedule 3, Part I“A period of 10 years beginning on the date of the last entry in the record.”
- Department of Health Northern Ireland: Good Management, Good Records disposal schedule (O16)“O16 Independent Health Care Establishments and Agencies”
Clinical advice, triage and a way to reach a person
PartlyNorthern Ireland still applies the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to services, which the Equality Act 2010 repealed in Great Britain. A provider must take reasonable steps to change a practice, policy or procedure that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service. A 2022 Act adds Irish language provisions under which public authorities must have due regard to standards; private clinics are not named.
For an AI agent: a phone agent that makes booking unreasonably difficult for disabled callers is the kind of practice the duty asks a clinic to change, which is our reading, not a source statement.
- UK Parliament: Disability Discrimination Act 1995, s 19 (goods, facilities and services)“this section now extends to N.I. only.”
- UK Parliament: Disability Discrimination Act 1995, s 21 (duty to make adjustments)“it is his duty to take such steps as it is reasonable, in all the circumstances of the case, for him to have to take in order to change that practice, policy or procedure”
- UK Parliament: Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022, s 2 (Part 7B)“requiring public authorities to have due regard to such standards”
Same as across the United Kingdom
For dental offices
What Northern Ireland adds to the rules across the United Kingdom.
Who regulates dentists here, and has it said anything about AI?
PartlyIn Northern Ireland, RQIA registers and regulates independent healthcare, and its registration guidance lists private dental practices under independent hospitals. RQIA was established under a 2003 Order. The General Dental Council's Standards apply to registrants in all four nations.
For an AI agent: the private dental practice, not the software, answers to RQIA, and the practice should check its registration covers how it uses an agent.
- RQIA: RQIA, Registration Guidance“Independent hospitals (including private dental practices”
- RQIA: RQIA, Legislation and Standards“The legislation under which RQIA was established is The Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003”
- Our search (2026-11-14): No General Dental Council standard written for AI tools found; its Standards apply in all four nations
Records, consent, intake forms and x-rays
PartlyIf a private dental practice is an independent establishment under the 2005 Regulations, Schedule 3 sets a 10 year minimum from the last entry (longer for some children and mental disorder cases), by our reading. A Department of Health schedule gives 6 years for general dental services records, so the figures conflict. A 16 or 17 year old's consent to dental treatment counts as an adult's, not under 16s.
For an AI agent: the 10 year and 6 year figures conflict, so the clinic should settle its dental record retention period before any automatic deletion is set.
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, Schedule 3, Part I“A period of 10 years beginning on the date of the last entry in the record.”
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, Schedule 3, Part I“All other cases. A period of 10 years beginning on the date of the last entry in the record.”
- Department of Health Northern Ireland: Good Management, Good Records disposal schedule (G33)“G33 General Dental Services Patient records 6 years”
- legislation.gov.uk: Age of Majority Act (Northern Ireland) 1969, s 4“The consent of a minor who has attained the age of sixteen years to any surgical, medical or dental treatment”
Same as across the United Kingdom
For plastic surgery and cosmetic clinics
What Northern Ireland adds to the rules across the United Kingdom.
Who regulates surgeons and cosmetic practice here?
PartlyIn Northern Ireland, RQIA registers independent hospitals, a category its registration guidance says includes cosmetic laser services. The page does not state whether fillers or injectables are covered. The General Medical Council regulates doctors across the UK.
For an AI agent: the cosmetic clinic, not the software, answers to RQIA, and a clinic offering injectables should check with RQIA whether it must register.
- RQIA: RQIA, Registration Guidance“Independent hospitals (including private dental practices, hospices for adults and children, cosmetic laser services”
- Our search (2026-11-14): No Northern Ireland only medical regulator found; the General Medical Council regulates doctors across the UK
Injectables, med spas and office surgery
PartlyEngland's under 18 injectables offences do not reach Northern Ireland: the 2021 Act extends to England and Wales only, with minor exceptions, and we found no Northern Ireland equivalent. We did not finish a direct search of Northern Ireland health department and Assembly sites. The 2005 Regulations set record keeping and storage for independent establishments; we did not read the premises rules.
For an AI agent: England's under 18 offence is not a Northern Ireland rule on these sources, but the clinic should not treat that as settled, because our search was not finished.
- Our search (2026-11-14): Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 extends to England and Wales only; no Northern Ireland equivalent found
- RQIA: Independent Health Care Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005, reg 21“a comprehensive medical record is maintained in relation to each patient”
What we could not confirm
- Northern Ireland employment law is a separate system and was not read, so we have not checked rules on recording staff calls there.
- The Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 is only partly in force, and its care, treatment and personal welfare provisions were not confirmed in operation.
- We did not check whether the duty of candour bill has been introduced since the February 2026 ministerial statement.
- The 10 year and 6 year dental record figures conflict, and the Department of Health schedule showed no date.
- RQIA's guidance on independent clinics was not opened, so we cannot say whether botulinum toxin or fillers need RQIA registration.
- We did not read which health bodies count as public authorities for the Irish language standards, or the Ulster Scots provisions.
Aida is made by Attainment, the company that wrote this guide.
Aida is Attainment's AI agent for clinic phones and messages. Each practice's opening notice, AI disclosure and call handling are set with us before launch, using the rules where it operates; what the law requires is not optional, and this guide does not replace that check. The guide stands on its own whether or not you look at the product.