PHE - Corporate - Supporting Prospective AI trials in Breast Screening

Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies are starting to be granted funding by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) for evaluating their AI products in the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme (NHS BSP). Public Health England (PHE) are keen to support these studies in a way that benefits the programme and minimises the risk for operational services and IT systems. For this reason, PHE are arranging an engagement day with AI companies known to the programme to understand what the likely demands on the NHS BSP IT systems will be from future studies. Interested parties will be invited to a 1hr private session to discuss their expected requirements. This will take place on Wednesday 21st April 2021. You will be allocated a timeslot when we know how many parties are interested.

Additional information: Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies are starting to be granted funding by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) for evaluating their AI products in the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Programme (NHS BSP). Public Health England (PHE) are keen to support these studies in a way that benefits the programme and minimises the risk for operational services and IT systems. For this reason, PHE are arranging an engagement day with AI companies known to the programme to understand what the likely demands on the NHS BSP IT systems will be from future studies. Interested parties will be invited to a 1hr private session to discuss their expected requirements. This will take place on Wednesday 21st April 2021. You will be allocated a timeslot when we know how many parties are interested.

Objective of the engagement session To understand how each company's AI product: - would sit within the screening pathway - would interact with the existing screening NHS BSP IT systems. - would be tested in the NHS BSP

Format There is a need to ensure that AI study project teams understand how breast screening services work and how the existing IT systems and data flows support this. Teams will be provided with a summary of the existing IT systems and will be given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their structures and functions. This includes the varying combinations of national and locally owned systems and infrastructure and is essential to inform whether studies can be supported by the existing systems. The teams will then be invited to present their study plan and expected requirements from the NHS BSP and IT systems, followed by questions and clarifications from PHE/ NHSEI/ NHSX The present supplier of the NBSS (Hitachi Vantara) will attend the day to provide feedback on the technical feasibility of options that AI study project teams discuss. Non-Disclosure Agreements may be used if required. Outcome Once all parties' requirements are understood, PHE will use this to establish the likely requirements of AI companies seeking to undertake research within the NHS BSP. The hope is to establish similarities between other studies so that a generalisable IT and delivery approach to trials/requirements can be identified. Depending on the requirements sought, any necessary changes to the IT systems will need to be technically assessed for feasibility and reviewed based on the limited resource capacity of the programme. If feasible, the work to make changes to the NHS BSP IT systems will need to be prioritised, funded and resourced, with costs being covered fairly by the companies requiring such changes.

Companies who are planning or participating in research on an AI product which will potentially affect national NHS BSP service delivery within the next 18 months can get in touch through [email protected]