The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has partnered with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) to establish a dedicated programme for testing emerging healthcare technologies within NHS settings — marking a new chapter in how the United Kingdom evaluates and adopts medical innovation.
Known as the Manchester Sandbox, the programme provides a structured environment where innovators, healthcare professionals, and regulators can assess new technologies in real-world clinical conditions. The initiative was officially launched at MFT’s Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, bringing together representatives from the regulatory, NHS, industry, and research sectors.
The programme is expected to initially focus on AI-enabled medical devices, with the broader aim of generating robust evidence on their safety, effectiveness, and suitability for deployment within NHS care pathways. The Manchester Sandbox also intends to explore regulatory approaches that can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated medical technologies as they continue to evolve.
Faster Access to Innovation for Patients
Health Innovation Minister James Frith commented at the launch, stating: “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.”
The MHRA noted that the programme will enable emerging technologies to be assessed at an earlier stage, while also helping developers understand the evidence requirements needed to support their adoption within healthcare systems. For NHS healthcare technology stakeholders, including NHS organisations themselves, the sandbox is designed to offer greater insight into how new solutions perform in live operational environments and how they could realistically be integrated into existing services.
At the launch event, several technologies were highlighted as examples of the innovation the programme aims to support. These included wearable devices and AI-powered Ambient Voice Technology — the latter of which is already being used in active patient care settings.
The MHRA and MFT confirmed that learnings gathered through the Manchester Sandbox will be shared more broadly to support the safe and informed adoption of innovative technologies across the wider NHS. A roundtable is also planned, bringing together regulators, NHS organisations, innovators, researchers, and patient and public representatives 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 healthcare innovation while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight, reinforcing the commitment to responsible development of NHS healthcare technology across the United Kingdom.