Healthcare innovators from across the country came together at the end of last month for a dedicated webinar focused on designing safe, effective and regulation-ready AI solutions for use in the NHS.
Hosted by Health Innovation West of England, ‘Designing AI Healthcare Solutions: Insights, Expectations and Regulations’, offered practical guidance for innovators navigating the increasingly complex landscape of artificial intelligence in health and care. With AI developing at pace, the event set out to clarify key regulatory requirements, explore NHS system expectations, and highlight opportunities to deploy AI that improves outcomes for patients and clinicians.
The event brought together expert speakers representing NHS innovation, digital strategy, medical device regulation and real-world application. Guest speakers included:
- Morgan Daly, Deputy Digital Director for Strategy and Transformation at GP federation, One Care (BNSSG);
- Sam Bacon, Associate Consultant at SGB Consulting Services, experts in medical devise quality and regulatory advice
- Emma Etheredge, Business Development Manager at Skin Analytics; a virtual, photo based dermatology assessment service.
Together they outlined how the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan and the healthcare three shifts it sets out – hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention – are creating new opportunities for AI to support clinical pathways, workforce capacity and operational pressures. Speakers discussed the core questions NHS systems ask when assessing new tools, as well as the standards, regulatory approvals, clinical evidence and data requirements innovators must consider before bringing AI-enabled medical devices into healthcare settings.
Reflecting on the session, Alex Leach, Deputy Director of Programmes at Health Innovation West of England, said: “AI has huge potential to transform the way care is delivered, but bringing safe, effective solutions into the NHS requires more than great technology – it needs the right evidence, regulatory understanding and collaboration with clinical teams. This webinar was about giving innovators the practical insight to confidently navigate that journey and develop tools that truly benefit patients.”
The event concluded with a Q&A, giving innovators the chance to explore challenges with experts and gain advice specific to their own solutions.
Health Innovation West of England provide support to innovators developing AI for healthcare, offering guidance on evidence generation, evaluation and adoption, and how to work successfully with NHS partners.
To keep up to date with forthcoming events and new resources to support healthcare innovators, visit our Innovation Exchange and sign up for our newsletter.
For further information on our support around AI for healthcare, please contact the Innovation team at healthinnowest.innovation@nhs.net.
Posted on November 13, 2025
