UK Life Sciences Sector Plan published

On July 16, 2025, the UK Government published the Life Sciences Sector Plan, which outlines targeted actions to support world-class research and development, attract investment, grow advanced manufacturing, and accelerate health innovation. The Plan is aligned with the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025. 

The key ambition is that the UK will be the leading life sciences economy in Europe by 2030, and the third globally by 2035, behind only the United States and China.

The delivery of the Plan will be supported by government funding of over £2 billion, alongside funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

This Life Sciences Sector Plan focuses on three core, interconnected pillars: 

1. Enabling World Class R&D;
2. Making the UK an Outstanding Place in Which to Start, Grow, Scale, and Invest;
3. Driving Health Innovation and NHS Reform – ensuring patients get rapid access to the most clinically and cost-effective new technologies, and enabling the shifts from sickness to prevention, hospital to community, and analogue to digital.

The key MedTech-related actions to support the delivery of the third pillar aim to ensure that regulatory and market access systems get innovation to the NHS fast and all patients have access to clinically and cost-effective innovations. Some examples of actions are provided below.

Action 27: Streamline market entry through enhanced coordination between the MHRA and NICE

• This will include delivering sustainable innovation pathways for products that meet unmet patient needs and enable the three shifts;
• There will be collaboration between regulatory approvals and HTA assessment, building on the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) and Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) to enable joined-up early engagement to support market access.

Action 29: Streamline access and adoption of MedTech by reducing duplication and introducing low-friction procurement and contracting mechanisms. The Government will:

• Implement the Rules-Based Pathway (RBP) for proven MedTech innovations that address an unmet need. From April 2026, NICE’s technology appraisal process, which includes mandated funding by the NHS, will be expanded to some devices, diagnostics, and digital products. RBP will also provide accelerated commercial support and enable quicker and simpler access to NHS infrastructure for evidence generation, intensive adoption, and pathway transformation support;
• Introduce an “Innovator Passport” in the NHS for MedTech by 2026. Information that could be covered in the passport includes Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), Value-based Procurement (VBP), and Evidence Validation requirements (including Real-World Evidence);
• Implement national standard guidance on Value-based Procurement for MedTech and create new commercial models for potentially high-value technologies, including exploring outcome-based agreements;
• Work across the system to ensure transparency and predictability in the route to market for Managed Services, ensuring Managed Service providers can continue to free up clinician time and support in delivering the most effective technologies;
• Launch a “HealthStore” for patients, enabling access to approved health apps to manage or treat their condition. Areas with digital tools that show significant promise include dermatology, physiotherapy, and cognitive behaviour therapy for mental health conditions. The products will be funded centrally, and a nationwide rollout will be piloted once the HealthStore is established. Some apps in the HealthStore will be available to all users, while others will be restricted to certain clinical indications and prescriptions from healthcare professionals.

Action 32: Deliver the ambitions of the Government’s Healthcare Goals programme across addiction, cancer, dementia, mental health, and obesity, with continued significant government funding.

The Plan also sets out how the Government will collaborate with industry over the next 10 years, maintaining deep partnerships through several mechanisms, including the Life Sciences Council, the Life Sciences Investment Envoy, and the Life Sciences Large Investment Portfolio.

See the full details here.

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