Medical AI in the NHS: what the Health-USC agreement means for health tech companies

Key data

Professionals in the National Health System who work with artificial intelligence tools have, since May 13, 2026, an official training framework that responds to a European legal obligation. The EU AI Regulation 2024/1689 requires that those who operate AI systems have the necessary literacy to do so safely. The CAMELIA agreement, signed between the Ministry of Health and the University of Santiago de Compostela, is the institutional response to that obligation in the healthcare sector.

For technology companies in the health sector, this is not just news about educational policy: it sets the knowledge standard that buyers, evaluators and operators of their AI solutions will have within the NHS.

What does this regulation establish?

The CAMELIA agreement articulates a collaboration between the General Directorate of Digital Health and Information Systems of the NHS and the University of Santiago de Compostela to design and deliver training in artificial intelligence applied to personalized and precision medicine.

The structural elements of the agreement are as follows:

Training activities will cover three dimensions: the technical (functioning and application of AI systems in health), the regulatory (compliance with the European AI Regulation and healthcare regulation) and the practical (real application in clinical and management environments).

Economic and operational impact

The CAMELIA agreement does not generate direct costs for private companies, but has relevant operational consequences for the health technology sector:

• Elevation of technical requirements in NHS tenders: NHS professionals trained in AI will evaluate technology solutions with greater expertise. Companies that cannot demonstrate alignment with the standards of EU Regulation 2024/1689 will lose competitiveness in public procurement.
• Compliance with the European AI Regulation as an operational requirement: the agreement explicitly responds to the obligation of Regulation 2024/1689 to ensure AI literacy. This makes training a compliance requirement for operators of AI systems in the NHS, not a voluntary option.
• Opportunity for aligned companies: companies that already work under the standards of the European AI Regulation and can demonstrate training of their teams will have competitive advantage in accessing the NHS market.
• Funding with Next Generation EU funds: the IASNS program, which finances these activities, is backed by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. This guarantees continuity and scale of the initiative.

Who does it affect?

• NHS healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) who use or will use AI tools in their clinical practice.
• NHS technologists responsible for implementing, maintaining or supervising AI systems in hospital or primary care environments.
• NHS managers and executives who make decisions about acquisition, deployment or evaluation of medical AI solutions.
• Health technology companies that develop, market or integrate AI solutions for the NHS: their customers and evaluators will be professionals trained under this agreement.
• Healthtech startups and scale-ups that aspire to contract with the NHS or public hospitals.
• Consultancies and AI healthcare training providers that compete in this space with the offering generated by the USC-PLEXUS Chair.

Practical example

A healthtech company that markets an AI system for diagnostic imaging in public hospitals applies for an NHS tender in 2027. The evaluation committee is made up of technologists and hospital managers who have completed the CAMELIA agreement training program, with technical, regulatory and practical modules.

These evaluators know the requirements of the EU Regulation 2024/1689 and can identify whether an AI system complies with the obligations of transparency, risk management and technical documentation. The company that cannot demonstrate compliance with these standards — or whose teams are not trained in European AI regulations — will be at a disadvantage compared to competitors that do.

Conversely, a company that has adapted its technical documentation to Regulation 2024/1689 and trains its commercial and technical teams in its requirements will be able to respond precisely to the evaluation committee's questions, shortening the sales cycle and increasing the probability of award.

What should companies do now?

1. Review compliance with EU Regulation 2024/1689: if your company develops or markets AI systems for the health sector, verify that your product and processes comply with the transparency, risk management and technical documentation obligations required by the European AI Regulation.
2. Train technical and commercial teams in medical AI regulations: NHS evaluators will be trained in the technical, regulatory and practical modules of the CAMELIA agreement. Your teams must speak the same language.
3. Monitor the training offering of the USC-PLEXUS Chair: the content and standards developed by the USC-PLEXUS Chair within CAMELIA will set the evaluation criteria for NHS professionals. Knowing them in advance is a competitive advantage.
4. Update tender materials: incorporate explicit references to Regulation 2024/1689 and standards for personalized and precision medicine in your technical proposals for NHS public procurement.
5. Identify opportunities in the IASNS program: the IASNS program, funded with Recovery Plan funds, may generate calls for collaboration or contracting for technology companies. Keep watch on its developments.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source (BOE-A-2026-12512)

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-12512