UK

On July 9, 2025, the NHS Cancer Programme granted £14.4 million to seven projects through the third Innovation Open Call. The projects aimed to fast-track the implementation of proven, late-stage innovations for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

On July 14, 2025, NICE published a HealthTech program manual. A new program will combine the former Medical Technologies Evaluation and Diagnostic Assessment programs and the Interventional Procedures program. The HealthTech program will produce two types of guidance: HealthTech guidance for devices, diagnostics, and digital products, and Interventional Procedures guidance. A life-cycle approach will be utilized for assessment and recommendations: early use, routine use, and existing use (late stage assessment).

On July 3, 2025, the UK Government published the 10 Year Health Plan for England as part of its mission to build a health service fit for the future. It sets out how the government will reinvent the NHS through three radical shifts - hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. This transition will be supported by a new NHS operating model, improved transparency of care quality, a redesigned workforce model, innovation to power transformation, and a new financial foundation. Five transformative technologies will drive reform: data, AI, genomics, wearables, and robotics. Other MedTech-related initiatives include expanding NICE's technology appraisals to devices, diagnostics, and digital products and implementing the 'Innovator passport'.

On June 30, 2025, NHS England released a draft summary of core changes between OPCS-4.10 and OPCS-4.11, a procedure coding classification updated every three years. Multiple changes are proposed, including 64 new three-character (category) codes and 568 new four-character (subcategory) codes. The final summary is scheduled for publication on November 1, 2025, with OPCS-4.11 set to take effect on April 1, 2026.

In June 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published three new Interventional Procedures Guidance (TAVI in native aortic valve regurgitation, targeted muscle reinnervation for limb amputation pain, laparoscopic insertion of inactive implant for GERD). Furthermore, three clinical guidelines were updated.

On June 17, 2025, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) opened a public consultation on the updated evidence review regarding population screening for dementia in adults. The 2025 review concludes that there is still insufficient evidence to support the introduction of a national screening programme. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments by September 9, 2025.

On June 6, 2025, NHS England published an updated work plan for the development of Clinical Commissioning Policies for specialised services. Two new MedTech-related policies concerning interventional radiology were added to the work program, and none have been published since the previous update. The status of ongoing policies has also been updated.

In May 2025, Health Technology Wales (HTW) accomplished one full appraisal on advanced electrosurgical bipolar vessel sealing systems during hysterectomy. One Med Tech-related Topic Exploration Report was published on AMBLor for identifying low-risk non-ulcerated early-stage cutaneous melanomas.

In May 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released five Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned the evaluation of high-flow nasal cannula therapy in pediatric critical care, assessment of IVD tests for guidance of antibiotic treatment, and the results of the research on clinical and cost-effectiveness of first-trimester ultrasound screening for fetal anomalies. HTA Journal publishes research reports on the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage, and provide care in the NHS, and informs NICE guidance.

In May 2025, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Early Value Assessments (Digital therapy for chronic tic disorders and Tourette syndrome, AI technologies for skin lesions) and one new Late Stage Assessment (Drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease). Furthermore, three clinical guidelines were updated.

On May 6, 2025, NHS England issued an updated version of the National Genomic Test Directory for 2025/26, which lists genomic tests commissioned by NHS England via Genomic Laboratory Hubs. One new code (test-indication combination) was introduced in the Test Directory for cancer, and one for rare and inherited diseases.

In March-April 2025, Health Technology Wales (HTW) accomplished one full appraisal of permanent implant brachytherapy devices for unresectable pancreatic cancer. Five Med Tech-related Topic Exploration Reports were published (on superior rectal artery embolization, glucose monitoring systems in neonates, gender-affirming surgery, telemetric intracranial pressure monitoring, tumor-profiling tests to guide bisphosphonate treatment in cancer).