Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have formed a partnership to launch a health innovation sandbox that will test promising new technologies and build evidence to accelerate the safe adoption of technologies, including AI, in the NHS.
It is hoped patients in Manchester will benefit from earlier diagnosis, more personalised care and faster access to new technologies.
The partnership will test promising innovations in real NHS settings.
The programme aims to rapidly evaluate healthcare solutions that can improve patient care and safety, reduce pressure on NHS services and support wider adoption of technologies that work.
The first technologies are expected to include AI-enabled medical devices, such as tools that can identify patients at higher risk of complications from long-term conditions, enabling earlier support and treatment.
Learnings will be shared across the NHS and could help inform how effective new technologies are introduced in other parts of the country, supporting wider access to innovation for patients.
Health Innovation Minister, James Frith, said: “Manchester is leading the way in getting the best new technologies into the hands of local patients faster – from AI models that can identify people at risk sooner to innovative treatments that could transform NHS care.
“But innovation must never come at the expense of safety. That is why this partnership will test out new technologies in real NHS settings but with strict oversight and guardrails, helping us to identify what works, in a carefully controlled way, and making a real difference to patients across Greater Manchester.”
MHRA Chief Executive, Lawrence Tallon, said: “AI and other emerging technologies have enormous potential to improve patient care. The challenge is understanding how they work in practice and where they can make the biggest difference.
“Manchester brings together the NHS, innovators, researchers and regulators to do exactly that. The learning from this programme could help shape how safe and effective technologies are introduced across the country, helping more patients benefit from innovation.”
