Imperial researchers have set out key regulations innovators must comply with when designing and building technologies safely to tackle COVID-19.
The paper, entitled 'Mobilising the COVID-19 response in the United Kingdom' (LINK), serves as a guide for those wishing to act quickly in manufacturing devices and equipment, conducting services or clinical studies or wishing to use data and algorithms, but are unsure of the regulatory pathways to fast-tracking their work for the COVID-19 response.
Imperial researchers Dr Aldo Faisal and Dr Ignacio Albert Smet from the UKRI Centre in AI for Healthcare prepared the paper, with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the UK Government's Department of Health and Social Care.
Separated into three sections, the paper outlines how you can help in the fight against COVID-19 as an individual or as a business, and the regulation and coordination for new services, devices and technologies.
Based on a journal article (LINK) by the Imperial academics and the Care and Quality Commission (CQC), the paper emphasises the need for products, equipment and technologies to be safe and legal, explaining how innovators can work within our legal and regulatory framework.
It outlines the four regulatory authorities innovators must consult, depending on their area of work: the MHRA for medicines and medical devices, the CQC for health and social care services, the NHS Health Research Authority (HRA) for ethics approval for medical research, and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which upholds information rights in the public interest.
"Aldo quote here"
Dr Aldo Faisal, Director of the UKRI Centre in AI for Healthcare, said "…"
Tom Stocker, Policy Manager at the Care and Quality Commission added "…"
Imperial has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 response, including modelling the disease and racing to develop a vaccine.
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