Arabic version: هيئة رقابية تدعو إلى قوانين جديدة للذكاء الاصطناعي في الرعاية الصحية البريطانية

According to BBC News, the UK needs new regulations for artificial intelligence products used in the NHS and other healthcare settings, Britain’s medicines and medical devices watchdog has said. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has published 44 recommendations to update policy as AI use in the sector rises.

MHRA chief Lawrence Tallon said AI would soon be routinely used within the NHS. He said patients would increasingly see AI as part of normal NHS healthcare delivery, and that this should happen in a way that maintains their trust and confidence. The report was compiled by an independent commission with input from more than 12,000 people, including patients and clinicians.

The recommendations include continuously monitoring AI products and removing regulatory approval if they malfunction or become less effective over time. They also propose that patients should be told when AI is involved in their care and be able to access information about the products used. Other proposals include powers to penalise developers whose products fail to meet standards and an AI “L plate” system for closely supervised trials of new models by healthcare professionals.

Tallon said the existing medical-devices framework was largely designed for products such as hip and knee replacements, stethoscopes and plasters. While current guidance may work for simple AI trained to identify known symptoms on scans, he said more complex models can continue changing after authorisation as new data is fed in. He added that no single country or regulatory framework had fully solved the global challenge of AI regulation.

AI note-takers known as scribes, powered by large language models, are reportedly used by 40% of UK-based GPs to record consultations and generate reports. A University of Edinburgh study found patients could be less likely to share personal information, including substance-abuse history, if they knew a conversation was processed by AI. Professor Henrietta Hughes said some patients opt out, while doctors remain responsible for correcting mistakes in notes.