The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published 44 new recommendations to strengthen AI regulation in healthcare, focusing on continuous monitoring and the removal of malfunctioning AI products from clinical use.
The guidelines come as AI-powered note-takers—driven by large language models—are now used by 40% of UK-based general practitioners (GPs) to record consultations and generate patient reports, according to industry reports.
A study by the University of Edinburgh found that patients may be less likely to disclose sensitive personal information—such as substance abuse history—when AI processes their consultations, raising concerns about data privacy and trust.
GP Prof. Henrietta Hughes noted that while some patients opt out of AI use, saying, 'I don’t want to talk to a robot,' others have accepted its integration into consultations.
Ophthalmologist Prof. Alastair Denniston described AI as an 'exceptional opportunity' for healthcare, comparing its potential impact to that of antibiotics and MRI technology.
However, experts warn that biases in AI training data could lead to incorrect medical decisions or flawed advice from AI chatbots, highlighting ongoing risks in the technology’s adoption.