The NHS should get quicker access to the latest AI tools, thanks to a new National Commission that has been tasked with advising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on how to re-write the regulatory rulebook on AI in healthcare.
The UK National Commission on the Regulation of AI in Healthcare will bring in experts from big tech companies – like Google and Microsoft – as well as leading clinicians, researchers and patient advocates, to advise regulators on how to speed up access to the latest tech in a safe way, so British patients can safely benefit from it first.
In the meantime, the Commission will also look at accelerating access to AI assistants for doctors that help by taking notes, with regulatory uncertainty currently holding the tech back.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “AI has incredible potential to help doctors spot and treat diseases earlier.
“But we need experts to come together so patients can benefit from these opportunities quickly and safely.
“This Commission will ensure the UK leads the way in making these game-changing technologies available in the safest possible way, helping more of us to lead healthy, longer lives and supporting our NHS.”
The Commission, which will be chaired by Professor Alastair Denniston, practising NHS clinician and head of the UK’s Centre of Excellence in Regulatory Science in AI & Digital Health (CERSI-AI), and deputy chaired by the Patient Safety Commissioner Professor Henrietta Hughes, will guide the MHRA on how cutting-edge AI technologies can be safely and effectively integrated into everyday healthcare.
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.
The Commission will also help by providing regulatory clarity on various AI tools such as those for radiology and pathology, and remote monitoring systems to support virtual care of patients from their own homes – alerting staff to early signs of deterioration while helping people live independently.
As well as helping British patients feel the benefit of new technology first, by providing regulatory clarity for new AI tools this approach will attract technology companies to invest in developing and using their latest innovations in the UK, driving forward the government’s plan to build an NHS fit for the future as part of the Plan for Change.
Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive of the MHRA, said: “We want regulation of AI in healthcare to move at the pace of innovation.
“AI has enormous potential to transform patient outcomes, improving quality, access and equity of care while driving efficiency.
“It is crucial that AI regulation maintains patient safety and public confidence. 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 health tech investment”.
AI is already being used to analyse and interpret acute stroke brain scans to support doctors when diagnosing and making treatment decisions in 100 per cent of stroke units in England.
Thanks to the AI Diagnostic Fund, 50 per cent of hospital trusts are now deploying AI to help diagnose conditions like lung cancer.
Hospitals using AI-supported diagnostics have seen a 42 per cent reduction in diagnostic errors.
The National Commission’s work will directly support the NHS’s digital transformation for the benefit of patients, and the UK’s ambition to become a global hub for health tech investment
Representatives, including other regulatory bodies, from across the healthcare ecosystem in the UK and internationally, will have voices in the AI National Commission, ensuring advice balances innovation with patient safety.
