The UK government has announced the launch of the National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, bringing together expertise from global AI experts, clinicians, and regulators, with an aim to help overcome regulatory hurdles and accelerate the use of AI in the NHS. As well as helping to support the government’s Plan for Change, it is hoped that this move will attract investment from tech companies in developing and rolling out their innovations in the UK.
The commission, including representation from tech suppliers such as Google and Microsoft, aims to review tech that is currently being stalled by regulatory uncertainty, and advise the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on re-writing of the regulatory rulebook on AI use in healthcare, due to be published in 2026.
One of the focuses for the commission will be AI note-taking assistants for doctors, with the government noting that: “Early tests of ‘Ambient Voice Technology’ shows that it has reduced admin to mean that more people could be seen in A&E and clinicians could spend more time focusing on patients.” Regulatory clarity will be provided in other areas, such as AI tools for radiology, pathology, and remote monitoring systems for virtual care.
Professor Alastair Denniston, head of the UK’s Centre of Excellence in Regulatory Science in AI & Digital Health (CERSI-AI), will be the committee’s new chair. He spoke of being “honoured” at being appointed to the role, adding: “The safe and effective use of AI in healthcare is one of the defining challenges – and opportunities – of our time. This Commission marks a vital step in ensuring the UK leads the way in responsible innovation, and in accelerating the availability of AI technologies that can support better health for everyone. By bringing together diverse expertise we can build a regulatory framework for AI that is trusted by the public and health professionals, and delivers real benefits for patients.”
Members of the commission include Professor Henrietta Hughes, patient safety commissioner; Dame Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Health Foundation; Dr Ricardo Baptista Leite, CEO, HealthAI; Dr Brian Anderson, CEO of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI); Richard Stubbs, chief executive of Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber; Professor Neil Lawrence, DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge and chief scientist at Trent AI; Professor Cathie Sudlow, head of the School of Population Health Sciences, director of Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, director, UKRI Adolescent Health Study, director of Generation Scotland; Dr Vish Ratnasuriya MBE, practising GP, chair of Our Health Partnership, co-founder of Primary Care Accelerator and Hon Assoc Professor University of Birmingham; Dr Gabriella Spinelli, director of RADIANT-CERSI Centre for Regulatory Science & Innovation in Digital Health & Healthcare AI, Brunel University of London; Richard Susskind CBE KC, president of the Society for Computers and Law; and Dr Barry Stein, CCIO, CMIO, founder of the Center for AI Innovation in Healthcare, attending vascular and interventional radiologist, Hartford HealthCare.
A call for evidence is expected in the coming weeks, inviting contributions from both the UK and abroad to help shape the commission’s recommendations and scope in addressing “the most pressing challenges” in AI regulation.
Wider trend: responsible AI and AI for innovation
For a recent HTN Now webinar, we were joined by Neill Crump, digital strategy director at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; Anil Mistry, AI safety lead and senior clinical scientist in AI at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; and Matea Deliu, GP clinical lead and clinical lead for primary care digital delivery, South East London ICB. After some brief introductions, our panellists went on to discuss AI in healthcare, sharing their own learnings from recent AI strategies and projects as well as their thoughts on regulations, tackling data bias, through to safety and evaluations.
Last year, HTN interviewed Ricardo Baptista Leite about the potential and considerations for artificial intelligence, key learnings from his career and his thoughts on the digital health landscape in Portugal.
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust has released its first ever AI strategy, highlighting the “unprecedented opportunity” AI presents for revolutionising healthcare delivery and enhancing clinical outcomes, driving efficiencies, reducing clinician burden, and improving patient care.
