The medical technology strategy will ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices
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 published today.
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 own health at home and in their day to day lives.
It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative technology through the NHS, which can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinician time. The NHS spends £10 billion a year on medtech including syringes, wheelchairs, cardiac pacemakers and medical imaging equipment such as x-ray machines.
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, this 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.
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 build resilient supply chains and ensure the UK is prepared for future pandemics, just as demand for technology like syringes and ventilators rapidly increase during the pandemic.
Using medtech effectively will be 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 key aims of the strategy are to:
The implementation plan to deliver on this strategy will be published later this year and will include a review of the £1 billion 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.
Dr Timothy Ferris, national director for transformation at NHS England said:
Dr Sam Roberts of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said:
Peter Ellingworth of the Association of British HealthTech Industries said:
This strategy follows action to cut NHS waiting times as one of the government’s top five priorities, backed by up to £14.1 billion 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.