Government accepts all 44 recommendations on regulating AI in healthcare

The government has accepted all 44 recommendations from the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, and set out a UK-wide plan to put them in place. The response was published on 6 October 2026.

What changes

The plan includes continuous monitoring of AI tools after they are deployed, and staged authorisations, likened to "L plates", that let AI tools be tested in controlled settings before wider use in the NHS. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will start work next year on a framework to qualify and classify AI-enabled medical devices.

Timeline

A draft set of proposals is due before the end of 2026, with a full implementation plan by spring 2027. The MHRA's AI Airlock testing programme is taking applications for its third phase, which focuses on monitoring AI devices once they are in use. Selections are due in November.

"Our approach to AI should be people-centred, and be underpinned by a regulatory system that is safe, fast, and trusted," said Professor Alastair Denniston, who led the review.

Analysis: what it means for your clinic

The response is aimed mainly at the NHS and at companies that make AI tools. It does not yet set specific rules for private clinics using AI, such as note-taking scribes or chatbots. But monitoring AI once it is in use may become the expectation for any tool that touches patient care, so it is worth keeping a simple record of which AI tools your clinic uses and what for. Watch for the draft proposals before the end of the year.

Sources: Health Research Authority (6 October 2026); pharmaphorum (6 October 2026).