NICE has announced a new one-stop-shop and advice service, intended to support the wider health and care system “adopt and make use of new digital and artificial intelligence”.
The AI and Digital Regulations Service will consist of a centralised and up-to-date website with content for developers and adopters of new technologies, as well as access to specialist support for both developers and adopters. Representing a multi-agency collaboration between NICE, the CQC, the HRA, and the MHRA, the idea is to provide support and guidance on AI and other digital technologies to facilitate their deployment and rollout.
Dr Laura Squire, MHRA Chief Quality and Access Officer, commented on the programme: “This innovative advice service will not only benefit developers and NHS adopters – it will also assure clinicians and provide them with confidence when using these cutting-edge technologies to provide care for patients across the UK.”
It is hoped that the website will give developers the insight they need to stay in line with regulatory requirements. It is also well timed in terms of the rapid progression of technologies such as AI, and the need for those working within the NHS and the wider care system to have a good understanding of them.
Haris Shuaib, Consultant Physicist and Head of Clinical Scientific Computing at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, noted the usefulness of the new resources for day-to-day treatment of patients: “The AI and Digital Regulations Service is an incredible resource. It’s my role to facilitate AI adoption at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital. In the past, this has been a challenging and risky responsibility. This new service provides a common and coherent adoption pathway. It will help people like me to implement such technologies safely and at speed for the betterment of patients.”
To find out more about the new service, please click here.
Earlier this month, HTN reported on the news that NICE has outlined guidance supporting acute respiratory infection and frailty virtual wards and recommended digital apps for depression or anxiety.
