Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective, and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first-ever Medical Technology (medtech) Strategy.
The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their health at home.
It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access technology through the NHS which can help diagnose, treat, and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinical time.
The NHS currently spends £10billion a year on medtech, including syringes, wheelchairs, cardiac pacemakers, and medical imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.
And, building on learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid development of medical technologies during that time such as lateral flow tests and ventilators, the strategy will ensure the right product is available at the right price and in the right place.
As a result, patients will continue to have access to high-quality care, alongside improved patient safety and health outcomes.
Value for money
The strategy aims to deliver value for money, using the latest data on the effectiveness of new technology to ensure prices are reasonable for the health system.
It will also help to build resilient supply chains and ensure the UK is prepared for future pandemics, just as demand for technology like syringes and ventilators rapidly increased during the pandemic.
We’ve spent the last two decades campaigning for equitable access to medical technology on the NHS and have gained a huge amount of insight into how it can benefit patients
Using medtech effectively in this way is seen as critical in reducing waiting lists for treatment caused by the pandemic as it has the potential to speed up diagnosis and deliver new and improved ways to treat and support patients.
For example, COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of fast and accurate diagnostic testing and genome sequencing to process and share results; and home lateral flow testing showed the potential for increased use of diagnostics outside of formal clinical settings to support earlier diagnosis and free up staff time.
Minister of State for Health, Will Quince, said: “The UK’s innovative spirit delivered revolutionary technology during the pandemic – from COVID tests to ventilators – and we want to harness this in promoting cutting-edge medical advancements to improve patient care.
“The NHS spends around £10billion a year on medical technology and I’m looking forward to working with industry to use this as we focus on reducing hospital stays, enhancing diagnosis, preventing illness, and freeing up staff time.
“This new medtech strategy will help build a sustainable NHS with patients at the centre so people can continue to access the right care at the right time.”
The key aims of the strategy are to:
- Boost the supply of the best equipment to deliver greater resilience to healthcare challenges, such as pandemics, and enhance NHS performance through modernised technology which will enable faster diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately discharge to free up hospital beds
- Encourage ambitious, innovative research to secure the UK’s position as a global science superpower and attract vital investment for the UK economy and create jobs across the country. In 2021, there were already around 60 different research programmes supporting innovative technologies, representing over £ billion of funding
- Increase understanding and awareness of medtech by clinicians which will lead to more-informed purchasing of new products and deliver better value for taxpayer money and better services for patients
- Build on the Life Sciences Vision to improve collaboration between the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as an innovation partner to ensure patients can access the right products safely
The implementation plan to deliver on this strategy will be published later this year and will include a review of the £1billion spent on appliances in primary care; new comparison tools to enable better decision making when purchasing which achieve the best results for patients; and collaboration with industry to ensure availability of key products to keep patients safe.
The NHS currently spends more than £10billion a year on medical devices, including wheelchairs, X-ray machines, and syringes
Facing the challenges
Dr Timothy Ferris, national director for transformation at NHS England, said: “Medical technology has an enormous role to play in benefitting patients now, and in the future.
“The importance of medtech was made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the NHS moves through its recovery, it will play a key role in addressing the challenges we face.”
Dr Sam Roberts of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, added: “It is essential that clinicians and patients can access the most-impactful and cost-effective medical technologies, while medtech companies need to be confident that they are developing products which meet the needs of patients and the NHS.
“This strategy sets out a clear vision for the future and NICE is excited to be part of the delivery of this vision, working with our partners to further develop world-leading processes to provide a sustainable pathway for medical technologies, from innovation to implementation.”
The UK’s innovative spirit delivered revolutionary technology during the pandemic and we want to harness this in promoting cutting-edge medical advancements to improve patient care
The strategy has also been widely welcomed by industry leaders, who have bene campaigning for additional support for many years.
Peter Ellingworth of the Association of British HealthTech Industries said: “ABHI welcomes the publication and the recognition it brings to the importance of HealthTech in supporting the NHS to deliver exceptional care for people in the UK.
“HealthTech plays a valuable role in enabling improved outcomes through changing patient pathways as well as productivity and efficiency gains.
“It is important that this strategy supports the ambition of the Life Sciences Vision to create an outstanding business environment for HealthTech companies and we look forward to working closely with the directorate in the implementation the strategy.”
Futureproofing services
Chairman of the Medical Technology Group (MTG), Barbara Harpham, adds: “As the NHS continues to recover from the pandemic and deal with long-term problems around workforce and waiting lists, it is reassuring to see that the Government is taking the potential of medical technology seriously.
“This strategy places medical technology at the heart of the Government’s ongoing efforts to futureproof the health service, helping the new Integrated Care Systems fulfil their population health model of care while ensuring every patient in the NHS can access the life changing devices they need.
“We’ve spent the last two decades campaigning for equitable access to medical technology on the NHS and have gained a huge amount of insight into how it can benefit patients.
This strategy places medical technology at the heart of the Government’s ongoing efforts to futureproof the health service, helping the new Integrated Care Systems fulfil their population health model of care while ensuring every patient in the NHS can access the life changing devices they need
“We look forward to engaging with NICE, NHS England, and parliamentarians as we look to make the best out of this exciting new strategy in the years to come.”
And Sandrine Moirez, senior vice president and international general manager at medtech company, iRhythm, said: “We’re pleased to see that the highly-anticipated strategy has finally been published.
“It outlines the importance of game-changing innovations and takes forward the important lessons we learnt from the pandemic, such as increasing uptake of proven medical technologies in our health service to boost efficiency.
Making a difference
“The strategy has heavily outlined the significance of healthtech companies in supporting and developing efficient working across the NHS framework, so this is a welcomed step from the Government.
“It is good to see the Government recognising the value of accelerating adoption of innovative products, especially when they improve clinical, operational, and financial outcomes.
“It is vital for the long-term success of the NHS that proven technologies, those that demonstrate improved clinician and patient experience, along with operational and financial system benefits, are speedily – yet safely – adopted nationwide.
“This will make a huge difference for a whole host of sectors, including cardiology.”
But Ellie Kearney, policy lead for the Health Tech Alliance, a coalition of healthtech companies working to drive up the adoption of health technologies, said the strategy fell short of what they had hoped, telling BBH: “The industry has been waiting for the strategy for a long time, hoping to be recognised as a key player in solving challenges the NHS is facing.
Currently it takes approximately 17 years for a device to be adopted in the NHS and it is extremely disappointing that the strategy did not touch on faster adoption routes
“We are encouraged by the fact that many of our key policy recommendations made it to the final report, such as making the supply chain more resilient; increasing awareness among clinicians; greater use of real-world evidence; a streamlined approach across all areas of technology within the health system; and a centralised approach to data collection.
Falling short
“It was also inspiring for many of our members to see Will Quince recognise the value that medtech can bring to the NHS, particularly noting robots that can perform complex surgeries saving invaluable time and resources, as well as possibilities in prevention and diagnostics.
“But the strategy goes nowhere near enough to truly address the challenges in MedTech adoption in England.
“Currently it takes approximately 17 years for a device to be adopted in the NHS and it is extremely disappointing that the strategy did not touch on faster adoption routes.
“It also offered no solutions for sustainable long-term funding solutions which are key for SMEs and the industry at large if they hope to be adopted within the NHS at this time of need.
“We will continue to liaise with the MedTech Directorate to ensure the implementation plan benefits the medtech sector and hope to prioritise the key areas that were left unaddressed within the strategy.”
This strategy follows action to cut NHS waiting times as one of the Government’s top five priorities, backed by up to £14.1billion of health and social care funding available for the next two years, on top of record funding and the publishing of a new Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.
