The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has established an AI commission to help expedite the technology’s adoption across the National Health Service (NHS).
The UK National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare will be chaired by Alastair Denniston, professor of regulatory science and innovation at the University of Birmingham, and include experts from big tech companies such as Microsoft and Google.
Working with the MHRA, the commission will offer guidance towards producing a revised regulatory framework on AI’s use in healthcare that is due for publication in 2026. Focusing on how access to the latest AI technology can be safely expedited, a key focus of the framework will be to provide regulatory clarity on using AI tools in areas including radiology, pathology, and remote monitoring systems – a key factor the MHRA says is currently holding the technology back.
The commission will also evaluate how to accelerate doctors’ access to ambient voice technology, an AI tool that helps with notetaking during patient consultations. Such technology has been shown to reduce the administrative burden on GPs and resonates with a key intent of the UK Government’s 10-year plan for the NHS to cut waiting lists.
Earlier this month, Microsoft rolled out its Dragon Copilot AI software across the NHS following a successful six-month pilot phase.
Providing regulatory clarity for new AI tools will make the UK a more attractive destination for tech investment, according to the MHRA, supporting the government’s 10-year plan to build an NHS fit for the future.
MHRA CEO Lawrence Tallon commented: “By bringing together leading voices in healthcare, technology, and patient safety, this commission will help establish the UK as a global leader in responsible AI healthcare regulation.
“The MHRA will act on the recommendations of the commission to support the NHS’s digital transformation and advance the UK’s ambition to become a global hub for healthtech investment”.
The government revealed its plans for a £29bn ($39.1bn) funding boost to the NHS in June, reflecting a 3% annual rise on current levels over the next three years to reach £226bn by 2029, to meet the aims of its Plan For Change initiative for the health service.
Around £10bn ($13.5bn) of the total funding is set to increase the NHS’s technology budget by almost 50% to bring the “analogue health system into the digital age”.
