UK commission urges overhaul of healthcare AI regulation

A UK commission has published 44 recommendations for overhauling how artificial intelligence in healthcare is regulated, proposing a lifecycle-based system that would replace the traditional approve-once model used for medical devices. The National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare, established by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in September 2025 and led by practicing NHS doctors, released its blueprint on September 9 and 10, 2026, after gathering evidence from more than 12,000 people over the course of a year, including patients, clinicians, healthcare leaders, industry figures and technology developers. Central to the proposals are staged authorizations, described by the commission as L-plate approvals, under which new AI models would be deployed under close supervision and tight guardrails before earning fuller clearance. The commission said this approach would give UK patients early access to promising new tools while controlling risk at every step.