The Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Lawrence Tallon, will take to the Plenary Stage at The Surgeon Show 2027 to discuss the UK’s approach to regulating artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Taking place on Friday 19 February 2027 at London’s Business Design Centre, the session, Regulating the Future: The MHRA’s 2030 Vision for Healthcare AI, will bring one of the UK’s most senior healthcare regulators into direct conversation with the surgical community.
Tallon will be joined by internationally recognised surgeon and digital health pioneer Professor Shafi Ahmed for a 30-minute plenary conversation examining how the UK can accelerate the development and adoption of AI-enabled medical technologies while maintaining patient safety, accountability and public trust.
The discussion follows the publication of the MHRA’s Strategy 2030, which sets out the agency’s ambitions to modernise regulation, embrace technological innovation and improve access to safe and effective medical products.
Central to the conversation will be the work of the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare and the MHRA’s AI Airlock, a regulatory sandbox designed to help developers and regulators address the challenges presented by emerging AI medical technologies.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in surgical imaging, clinical decision support, robotic systems and perioperative care, questions surrounding clinical validation, regulatory oversight and professional accountability are becoming more pressing.
For surgeons, the implications extend beyond the approval of individual technologies. AI is beginning to influence how procedures are planned, how clinical information is interpreted and how surgical teams interact with increasingly intelligent systems.
Mr Josh Burke, Academic Programme Director of The Surgeon Show 2027, said:
“Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape every aspect of surgical care, but innovation can only deliver meaningful benefits when patients and clinicians have confidence in the technologies being introduced.
“Having the Chief Executive of the MHRA join us at The Surgeon Show is a fantastic opportunity to bring the national regulatory conversation directly to the surgical community.
“Surgeons should be active participants in shaping how these technologies are evaluated, regulated and implemented, rather than simply receiving them once decisions have already been made.”
The session will also consider how regulatory frameworks can respond to technologies that evolve after deployment, including adaptive AI systems and increasingly autonomous applications.
With the UK seeking to strengthen its position as a global leader in healthcare innovation, the conversation will explore how regulation can support responsible technological progress without creating unnecessary barriers to clinical adoption.
The Surgeon Show 2027 will bring together surgeons, NHS leaders, policymakers, researchers and healthcare technology innovators for a multidisciplinary programme spanning surgical robotics, artificial intelligence, innovation, workforce development and healthcare transformation.
Tallon’s participation represents a significant opportunity for the surgical profession to engage directly with the regulator responsible for overseeing many of the technologies that will shape clinical practice in the years ahead.
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Session details
- P05 | PLENARY CONVERSATION | Regulating the Future: The MHRA’s 2030 Vision for Healthcare AI
- Speaker: Lawrence Tallon, Chief Executive, MHRA
- In conversation with: Professor Shafi Ahmed
- Date: Friday 19 February 2027
- Time: 11:15–11:45
- Venue: Plenary Stage, Business Design Centre, London
