The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust have launched a new partnership designed to test promising healthcare technologies in real NHS settings and speed up the safe adoption of innovations for patients.
Manchester Sandbox aims to bridge the gap between promise and practice
Announced on 2 September 2026, the collaboration will create a Manchester Sandbox that allows new technologies to be deployed and evaluated in day-to-day clinical practice. According to the trust, the programme is intended to generate evidence on how innovations perform with patients and clinicians, while maintaining oversight and guardrails.
The first technologies under consideration are expected to include AI-enabled medical devices, such as tools that can identify patients at higher risk of complications from long-term conditions and support earlier intervention. The partners say the initiative could help reduce pressure on NHS services, improve patient safety and support wider adoption of technologies that prove effective.
Why the scheme matters for the NHS
The trust said the new programme is designed to address a familiar challenge in healthcare: many innovations show promise during development, but proving they work in real healthcare settings is essential before wider use. By bringing healthcare providers, regulators and innovators together earlier, the partnership aims to create a clearer route from testing to adoption.
Officials involved in the launch said the learning generated in Manchester could be shared across the NHS and may help inform how effective new technologies are introduced in other parts of the country. The collaboration also reflects a broader use of regulatory sandboxes by the MHRA to support safe innovation and accelerate patient benefit.
The trust said the programme will also help developers understand what evidence is needed for broader NHS use, while the regulator said the approach could support more informed decisions about which technologies best meet patient needs in practice. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust described the city as one of the UK’s leading health innovation systems, pointing to its large NHS footprint, research expertise, digital capability and growing AI sector.
At the launch, local leaders joined representatives from the MHRA and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust at the Oxford Road Campus, one of the largest academic health campuses in Europe. The event included demonstrations of emerging technologies already being used to support earlier intervention and improved patient care.
Health Innovation Minister James Frith said the partnership would help bring new technologies into the hands of local patients faster, while stressing that innovation must never come at the expense of safety. MHRA chief executive Lawrence Tallon said the challenge is understanding how AI and other emerging technologies work in practice, and where they can make the biggest difference. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Mark Cubbon said patients should benefit from innovation quickly, but never have to choose between access and safety.
Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig said the region’s strengths in AI, health data and innovation could improve people’s lives and help shape the future of healthcare innovation. The MHRA said it will also invite expressions of interest from medical device developers for the next phase of the programme.
For the NHS, the project represents a practical attempt to move beyond pilot projects and into evidence-led adoption. If successful, it could offer a model for how safe, tested innovation reaches patients more quickly without losing sight of clinical standards.
Source: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
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