Lords committee launches NHS personalised medicine and AI inquiry

TL;DR: The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into AI and personalised medicine adoption in the NHS. The inquiry will examine why the health service struggles to deploy life sciences innovations and what systemic barriers prevent it. Written evidence is due by 20 April 2026.

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is investigating a persistent problem: why does the NHS struggle to turn the UK’s strengths in AI and genomics research into treatments that reach patients?

Scope of the inquiry

The committee will use personalised medicine and AI as case studies to examine broader failures in NHS innovation adoption. Specific areas include research infrastructure needs, regulatory frameworks, commissioning models, and the gap between clinical trials and NHS-wide delivery.

Advances in areas like CAR T-cell therapy, which modifies a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer, and tools like Google’s AlphaGenome model for understanding genetic effects on health show what is possible. The government’s AI for Science strategy has set a target to develop trial-ready drugs within 100 days by 2030. But translating laboratory breakthroughs into routine patient care remains a bottleneck.

Key questions

The committee will explore whether current appraisal and commissioning models are fit for purpose, how NHS fragmentation contributes to uneven deployment, and what the government needs to do to strengthen links between research, industry, and the health service.

Committee chair Lord Mair said the inquiry would examine “blockages in the system”, including procurement processes, clinical pathways, and the role of regulators and professional bodies.

Looking forward

Written evidence submissions close on 20 April 2026. The inquiry addresses a question that extends well beyond healthcare: whether the UK can close the gap between being strong at research and being effective at deployment. For AI companies working in health, the committee’s findings could shape how new tools reach NHS patients and how the government structures future procurement.