The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has partnered with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to establish a new programme for testing emerging healthcare technologies in NHS settings.
The Manchester Sandbox will provide a structured environment for innovators, healthcare professionals and regulators to assess new technologies in real-world clinical settings.
The programme is expected to initially focus on technologies including AI-enabled medical devices, with the aim of generating evidence on their safety, effectiveness and suitability for use in NHS care.
The initiative was launched at MFT’s Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, bringing together representatives from the regulator, NHS, industry and research sectors.
The MHRA said the programme will enable emerging technologies to be assessed earlier and help developers understand the evidence needed to support their adoption within healthcare.
“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," said Health Innovation Minister James Frith.
For NHS organisations, the sandbox is intended to provide greater insight into how new technologies perform in operational healthcare environments and how they could be integrated into existing services.
Technologies showcased at the launch included wearable devices and AI-powered Ambient Voice Technology, which is already being used to support patient care.
The programme will also explore approaches to regulation that can respond to the development of increasingly sophisticated medical technologies.
The MHRA and MFT said learning from the Manchester Sandbox will be shared more widely to support the safe adoption of innovative technologies across the NHS.
A roundtable involving regulators, NHS organisations, innovators, researchers and patient and public representatives is also planned to identify further opportunities for the programme.
The MHRA is expected to invite medical device developers to submit expressions of interest for the next phase of the sandbox.
The partnership forms part of wider efforts to accelerate the development and adoption of healthcare innovation while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight.
