Patients across London are set to benefit from faster access to innovative, AI‑powered healthcare technologies, as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in partnership with NHS England (London) and the London Health Innovation Networks (HINs), announced a new regulatory sandbox.

The initiative, known as 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, helping ensure patients can access new technologies earlier while maintaining the highest standards of safety.

By bringing together regulators, healthcare providers and innovators, the sandbox provides a controlled environment to safely deploy cutting-edge technologies. The programme will support the delivery of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan by enabling faster adoption of technologies that improve patient outcomes, expand access to care, and reduce health inequalities.

Up to 10 AI medical device manufacturers will be selected to participate in the initial phase, working alongside NHS providers across London to deploy technologies in live clinical settings under MHRA oversight.

By enabling controlled, outcomes-based deployment, the sandbox aims to generate robust real-world evidence on safety and effectiveness while supporting a clearer, more predictable route to wider adoption.

MHRA will be inviting expressions of interest from both NHS providers and AI medical device manufacturers interested in participating in London Region I next month. 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.”

(Source: MHRA)

Published on June 15, 2026