Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 16 July 2021.
Technology such as smart sensors, Smart IoT devices and contactless symptom scanners developed by UtterBerry have the ability to enable a return from Covid restrictions and to reduce the need for future lockdowns. What steps will you take to support the delivery and rollout of these crucial technologies across London?
There are many exciting new technologies being developed with the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners, including the management of COVID, and it would not be appropriate for me to champion the roll out of one product over other potentially similar products on the market or in development. As responded in Question 2021/2803, medical devices need to meet approval of the national Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) before they can be rolled out. To support innovators I have developed a draft Charter to guide discussions between makers and buyers, including the public sector, when deploying emerging technology in the city, to ensure decisions are transparent, products are designed around the needs of Londoners and they meet the highest standards, including around privacy and data protection, which is particularly important where health data is collected.