The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced that it has become a founding member of a global network of health regulators focused on the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
The UK is now the first country in the world to join the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network, which will aim to build trust in the technology and accelerate innovation.
Ten ‘pioneer countries’ have been invited to shape the network and will work together to share early warnings on safety, monitor how AI tools perform in practice, and build international standards.
A signing ceremony at Westminster in London marked the MHRA’s membership and was attended by science minister Lord Patrick Vallance, MHRA chief executive Lawrence Tallon and HealthAI chief executive officer Ricardo Baptista Leite.
Tallon said: “AI has huge promise to speed up diagnoses, cut NHS waiting times and save lives – but only if people can trust that it works and is safe. That’s why we’re proud to be leading the way, shaping how this powerful technology is used safely in healthcare here and around the world.”
Leite added: “The UK has long been a trailblazer at the intersection of AI and health, and we are honoured to welcome it as the first of ten pioneer countries in the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network, fostering global collaboration and shared learning in the regulation and scaling of AI for health.”
The MHRA said it will draw on the work it is already undertaking to facilitate the safe integration of AI within healthcare. This includes its AI Airlock programme, which allows companies to test new tools with regulators before wider NHS roll-out.
The regulator also set a roadmap last year to enable safe access to medical technology, including AI and diagnostics.
The Roadmap Towards the Future Regulatory Framework for Medical Devices will support the development of new regulations that will prioritise patient safety and help ensure individuals continue to have access to the devices they need without delay, while enhancing the UK’s position as “a world-leading environment for medical technology innovators”, the MHRA said at time of the January 2024 announcement.