Secondary Care

CQC invites AI innovators to help develop regulatory approach

The Care Quality Commission has today launched a regulatory sandbox round 2 for machine learning in diagnostic and screening services.

CQC is seeking providers and innovators who use AI in their diagnostic and imaging services to help develop their regulatory approach.

The round will include technology for the interpretation and delivery of imaging, physiological measurement, blood samples, endoscopy, sonography and other clinical data.

It will help support CQC’s regulatory method to shape, define and measure the sector. By joining you will be able to network with providers and innovators. It includes attending two workshops, supporting the sandbox team, completing information returns, supporting site visits and a final report.

The first sandboxing approach focused on digitising clinical triage and is now closed. Trialling ‘sandboxing’ is part of CQC’s work to encourage innovation, quality and safety. Supported by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through its Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the sandbox is a space where providers can work with CQC to look at how new ways of working fit with regulation.

Through ‘sandboxing’, it will establish what good quality care looks like when new, innovative approaches are being used.

Dr Malte Gerhold, CQC’s Director of Strategy and Intelligence, said “Innovative technology is changing almost every part of our lives, including how we access and receive care. This means the way that we regulate health and social care services has to evolve too.”

“Sandboxing will help us to encourage new ways of working by collaborating with innovators to understand what good quality care looks like when introducing new approaches. It also allows us to explore and communicate any expectations we have as the regulator.”

“Working together we can examine new ways of working, mitigate risk, and achieve our common goal – better outcomes for people using services.”

You can find more information on the round here.