NHS launches £900m AI framework to accelerate robotic health innovations and improve patient safety

NHS Shared Business Services has opened the door for suppliers to compete for a place on a new £900m artificial intelligence framework that is intended to support the health service and wider public sector over eight years.

The arrangement, expected to begin operating in May 2027 and run until May 2035, is being described by NHS SBS as a mechanism for the “efficient, legally compliant, and scalable procurement” of AI tools. It is split into eight lots covering radiology an...

d diagnostic imaging, early detection and preventative healthcare, virtual and robotic health, predictive analysis, research, innovation and development, and advisory and specialist support.

One of the most ambitious parts of the framework is the virtual and robotic health lot. According to the tender notice, this category is designed to back technologies that automate clinical tasks, support healthcare professionals and improve workflow efficiency. It also includes robotics and AI-driven systems for medication dispensing, which the notice says could reduce human error and improve patient safety.

The framework comes as ministers and regulators intensify efforts to speed up the use of AI in the NHS while maintaining oversight. The Department of Health and Social Care recently provided the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency with £3.6m over three years to expand its AI Airlock programme, a regulatory sandbox for testing AI as a medical device. The government has also announced work on a world-first AI early warning system to identify patient-safety concerns in NHS systems, alongside a new national commission to advise on a regulatory framework for healthcare AI.

There is also growing pressure to demonstrate that AI can deliver practical gains inside the health service. A major NHS pilot of Microsoft 365 Copilot across 90 organisations, involving more than 30,000 workers, reportedly found average time savings of 43 minutes per employee per day, while a separate government-backed AI screening platform is being developed to allow tools to be tested at scale across NHS screening services.

NHS SBS said the new framework is meant to give approved organisations access to AI systems that are safe, interoperable and aligned with local and national priorities. It also says the structure should cut duplication in procurement, improve consistency across governance and digital maturity, and help the health service secure better value for money.

Suppliers interested in joining the framework must submit questions by midday on 29 May, with the tender deadline set for midday on 23 June.

Source: Noah Wire Services