Blueprint for AI regulation could cut NHS waiting times
- 22 October 2025
- The government has announced a new blueprint for AI regulation which could help cut NHS waiting times
- Liz Kendall, technology secretary, said that the new AI Growth Lab will look at how innovators can test AI products in real-world conditions
- Funding of £1 million is being set side to support the MHRA to pilot AI-assisted tools
The government has announced a new blueprint for AI regulation which could help cut NHS waiting times for patients and time demands on frontline NHS staff.
Liz Kendall, technology secretary, confirmed the new AI Growth Lab on 21 October 2025, which will look at how companies and innovators can test new AI products in real-world conditions, with some rules and regulations temporarily relaxed under strict supervision.
Known as sandboxes, individual regulations are temporarily switched off or tweaked for a limited period in safe, controlled testing environments. They would initially be set up for key sectors of the economy including healthcare.
Speaking at the Times Tech Summit, Kendall said: “To deliver national renewal, we need to overhaul the old approaches which have stifled enterprise and held back our innovators.
“We want to remove the needless red tape that slows progress so we can drive growth and modernise the public services people rely on every day.
“This isn’t about cutting corners – it’s about fast-tracking responsible innovations that will improve lives and deliver real benefits.”
The AI Growth Lab will pilot responsible AI which could otherwise be held back by regulation and generate real-world evidence for the impact that they can deliver, such as a testing ground focused on building AI tools to support health workers deliver better patient care on an accelerated timeline.
The government has launched a public call for views on its AI Growth Lab proposals, to help consider whether the programme should be run in-house by the government or overseen by regulators.
Commenting on the plans, Finn Stevenson, chief executive at AI-powered physiotherapy firm Flok Health, said: “The potential for AI to transform healthcare is enormously exciting, but good regulation is required to ensure that these novel technologies are safe and effective for patients.
“As we’ve shown with our Class IIa medical device clearance for AI physiotherapy, it is absolutely possible to certify products like this, but many more innovations could get to market faster if the rules were modernised for a software-driven world.
“Regulators like the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] and the notified bodies that assess AI products on their behalf, currently have the unenviable task of applying rules designed for physical products to advanced software systems that are radically different than anything that existed when the regulations were written.
“In revisiting those regulations, the AI Growth Lab is a valuable opportunity to make the UK a global destination for healthcare AI.”
Dr Hammad Jeilani, medical director and co-founder, at healthcare logistics firm Apian, said: “Our AI-powered autonomous robots increase productivity and cut costs – handling routine logistics so healthcare staff can dedicate more time to patient care.
“A cross-economy sandbox will let innovators like Apian safely test and scale these systems, making NHS logistics invisible, resilient and truly patient-centred.”
Funding of £1 million is being set side to support the MHRA to pilot AI-assisted tools and expand access to a regulatory testing ground which allows companies to work with regulators to safely test medical devices.
