The GCC has joined UK health and social care regulators in a new collaboration supporting the safe, effective and ethical use of AI, building on recommendations from the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare.
17.09.26
Artificial intelligence is already changing how health and care services are delivered - from supporting earlier diagnosis and more personalised care to reducing administrative pressures on healthcare professionals. As its use grows, so too does the need for a regulatory approach that enables innovation while protecting patients, maintaining transparency and building public trust.
This month, the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare published a major report setting out 44 recommendations for the future regulation and assurance of AI in healthcare. Informed by an extensive programme of research and engagement with patients, the public, healthcare professionals, industry and the wider health system, the report provides an important blueprint for how regulation can keep pace with rapidly evolving technology.
At its heart is a call for a more proportionate, lifecycle-based and system-wide approach to regulating AI - one that considers not only whether AI technologies are safe and effective when introduced, but how they perform and are governed throughout their use. The Commission also highlights the importance of transparency, clear accountability, professional oversight and giving patients confidence in how AI is being used in their care.
Its message is clear: realising the potential of AI in healthcare will depend on creating a regulatory environment that can support responsible innovation while keeping people, patient safety and public trust at its centre.
Against this important national backdrop, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) has joined other UK health and social care professional regulators, the PSA and the Accredited Registers Collaborative in publishing a joint Statement of Intent supporting the safe, effective and ethical use of AI by health and social care professionals.
The statement marks the beginning of a formal collaboration across professional regulation. As a first step, the organisations will work together to develop high-level principles to guide how they regulate the use of AI by health and social care professionals across the UK. The aim is to provide greater consistency in regulatory expectations, protect patients and the public, and support responsible innovation.
Nick Jones, Chief Executive and Registrar, General Chiropractic Council, said:
“The GCC welcomes a coordinated approach across professional regulation to support the safe, effective and ethical use of AI in health and care. AI has real potential to benefit patients, the public and professionals, when used responsibly, transparently, and in ways that maintain public trust.
As regulators, our role is to help make that possible: giving professionals clarity, supporting innovation, and ensuring professional standards and the safety of patients remain at the heart of care.”
