The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in partnership with NHS England (London) and the London Health Innovation Networks (HINs) has launched a sandbox for AI‑powered healthcare technologies.

London Region I will create a real-world environment to safely deploy AI-enabled medical devices while generating additional evidence of benefit across NHS settings.

Up to 10 AI medical device manufacturers will be selected to participate in the initial phase.

The programme will support collaboration between providers and innovators, helping to match technologies with real system needs and enabling rapid, evidence-led deployment in practice.

Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive, said: “This initiative demonstrates that regulation can be an enabler for innovation, not a barrier.

“We need to work faster to keep pace with developments in AI to ensure that patients can safely benefit from cutting-edge technologies as they become available.”

Dame Caroline Clarke, Director NHS London, said: “Londoners deserve the best that modern medicine has to offer. This programme is about making sure the NHS in London can adopt the latest technologies quickly, safely and in a way that genuinely improves care for patients. We want London to lead the way in developing and scaling-up innovation, demonstrating its value in the real world for Londoners and making London even more attractive for the Life Science sector."