Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that could transform patient care – from reducing bowel cancer test times from weeks to minutes, to detecting skin cancer and genetic eye diseases sooner – are being tested in the next phase of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) AI Airlock programme.
Seven manufacturers developing novel AI-powered healthcare technologies have been selected for the second phase of the programme, which provides a controlled environment to trial AI tools safely, ensure their effectiveness, identify limitations and challenges around the use of AI as a medical device, and explore potential pathways towards regulatory approval.
The in-depth insights from testing real-world technologies through the Airlock will inform future MHRA work on the regulation of AI, including recommendations to the MHRA’s National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare – which brings together patient advocates, clinicians, regulators, and tech companies to advise the MHRA on AI regulation in healthcare.
The chosen technologies span AI-powered clinical note taking, advanced cancer diagnostics, eye disease detection, hospital stay summaries, and blood test interpretation – targeting critical challenges across the healthcare system and supporting clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions for patients.
Health Innovation Minister Zubir Ahmed said:
“The AI revolution is here and we want our NHS staff to be the first in the queue, armed with rigorously tested and evidenced clinical AI tools
“The AI airlock programme is a great example of how we can test new innovations thoroughly while still moving at pace, as we seek to deliver on our promise to shift healthcare from analogue to digital.
“Through our ten year health plan we will drive for the NHS to be the most AI-enabled healthcare system in the world.”
UK Science Minister, Lord Vallance said:
“The AI Airlock programme is accelerating access to potentially life-saving tools, and backing manufacturers who are leading the renewal of our NHS. Putting AI to work in healthcare can boost economic growth by ensuring people aren’t prevented from working through poor health, while at the same time helping NHS staff work more effectively and supporting the UK’s world class life sciences sector.
“From eye test results in minutes to much faster cancer detection, we are not only transforming what patient care looks like but reinforcing the UK’s status as a global leader in health technology and research.“
Lawrence Tallon, MHRA Chief Executive, said:
“AI technologies offer important opportunities to transform healthcare, but they also create new regulatory complexities, due to the rapid pace at which they are evolving.
“As the first country to create a dedicated regulatory environment, or ‘sandbox’, specifically for AI medical devices, we’re pioneering solutions to the unique challenges of regulating these emerging healthcare technologies.
“The first phase of AI Airlock demonstrated the value of close collaboration between innovators and regulators. I look forward to seeing the results of this new cohort and how their technologies will shape the next generation of safe, effective AI tools in healthcare.”
Sir Andrew Goddard, AI Airlock Governance Board Chairman and Consultant Gastroenterologist at Royal Derby Hospital, said:
“AI holds enormous potential for the NHS to become faster and better at managing health and illness.
“Keeping patients safe whilst allowing access to the most up to date innovations is a critical part of what the MHRA does, and I am really excited by the progress the AI Airlock is making in achieving this.
“The results of the first year of the programme published today show what can be achieved with collaborative working between the MHRA and industry. The second phase partners have been selected with current challenges facing the NHS in mind.
“Many clinicians, like myself, are keen to see AI find its place in the NHS but are worried by over-promise on results and lack of reassurance with regards to patient safety. This programme goes a long way to embedding safety and rapid development of these new technologies in our health service.”
Phase two of the programme builds on the success of the pilot phase. Four reports published today capture the key insights from the initial cohort, including a programme report and three workshop reports. These provide a blueprint for how the regulatory sandbox can accelerate safe AI innovation and support the Government’s bold vision for the NHS to be the world’s most AI-enabled healthcare system.
Working with four innovative companies – Philips, Newton’s Tree, OncoFlow, and Automedica Ltd – the AI Airlock programme identified a number of potential regulatory improvements and recommendations to enhance patient safety and support innovation. These included improvements for synthetic data validation, AI decision explainability, and innovative approaches to tackle emerging risks like AI hallucinations.
Yinnon Dolev, Gen AI Product Owner at Philips Medical Systems, said:
“Participating in the AI Airlock sandbox was a very positive experience. The chance for a R&D representative to impact the regulatory strategy with the regulator is almost unheard of.
“The interaction with the team and experts was exceptional. They provided invaluable insights and support, making the entire process smooth and productive. Meeting with the MHRA on a weekly basis throughout the pilot was also a catalyst for meaningful progress expediting our development activities.”
Notes to editors
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The MHRA AI Airlock was launched in Spring 2024 and is the MHRA’s first regulatory sandbox for AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD) products. Applications for the second round of the programme opened on 23 June 2025 and closed on 14 July 2025.
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For more information on the AI Airlock programme, visit: AI Airlock: the regulatory sandbox for AIaMD – GOV.UK
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AI Airlock is backed by the Government’s new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which is supporting regulators to test more agile, flexible ways of working that can keep pace with emerging technologies like AI. By making the UK a more innovation-friendly environment, the RIO is helping to deliver the Government’s Plan for Change – backing high-growth industries, supporting NHS innovation, and accelerating technologies that can make a real difference to people’s lives.
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The MHRA recently launched the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare which will be responsible for advising the MHRA on the new regulatory framework for AI products in healthcare, supporting this goal and making Great Britain the fastest and safest place to regulate AI and software as a medical device in the world.
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The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that benefits justify any risks.
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The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
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