Promising healthcare innovations will be tested in real NHS settings under the new partnership between MHRA and Manchester University NHS Trust.

Patients in Manchester could soon benefit from earlier diagnosis, increased personalised care, and faster access to proven new technologies under the trust’s new partnership with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Healthcare solutions that can improve patient care and safety and reduce pressure on NHS services will be rapidly evaluated as part of the partnership’s first programme, Manchester Sandbox.

Innovative technologies including AI-enabled medical tools will be deployed and tested in local NHS settings to gather evidence on how they perform with patients and clinicians in their day-to-day practice. 

“Patients should benefit from innovation as quickly as possible, but they should never have to choose between access and safety,” said Mark Cubbon, the trust’s chief executive. 

“By creating a clear route from innovation to safe adoption, we can help people gain faster access to developments that have the potential to improve care, while maintaining the high standards of safety that patients rightly expect.”

Enormous potential

One of the first technologies that is expected to be included is an AI-enabled tool that can identify patients at higher risk of complications due to long-term health conditions.

“AI and other emerging technologies have enormous potential to improve patient care,” said Lawrence Tallon, the MHRA’s chief executive. “The challenge is understanding how they work in practice and where they can make the biggest difference.”

New healthcare technologies often show potential in development, but proving they work in real NHS settings is critical. The Manchester Sandbox programme has been created to address this challenge and will bring together healthcare providers, regulators and innovators earlier in the process. 

Tallon added that learning from the programme could help to shape how safe and effective technologies are introduced across the country. 

Looking ahead, the MHRA has said it will invite expressions of interest from medical device developers interested in taking part in the next phase of the programme.