Consultation on the technologies will be open until 25 August, with the guidance due to be published on 27 September. The draft guidance states that all contours created by AI must still be reviewed by a trained healthcare professional and edited as needed before being used in radiotherapy treatment planning. Research suggests that using AI is quicker than manual contouring even when healthcare professional reviewing and editing are considered.

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said it will respond to the consultation. While SoR leadership said it welcomes the draft, it added that these technologies are not a replacement for staff and that caution is needed. It also said that more evidence is needed for cost savings suggested by the draft guidance.

More information is available on the SoR website.