Event roundup: DTAC reform – joint policy unit webinar with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England

This webinar with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England outlined updates to the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), aimed at simplifying and standardising digital health assurance. The session explored reduced duplication, clearer guidance and longer-term reform plans to improve consistency, streamline procurement and support supplier adoption across the NHS.

In a webinar hosted by techUK, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England’s Joint Policy Unit outlined the latest updates to the Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC), providing suppliers and NHS organisations with a clearer, simplified and more predictable route through digital health assurance. The session focused on the refreshed DTAC form, updated guidance, and the wider reform programme aimed at reducing burdens while maintaining robust patient safety protections.

A simplified and more consistent DTAC

The updated DTAC form includes a 25% reduction in questions, removal of duplication across other assurance mechanisms (such as DSPT and medical device regulation processes), and clearer decision trees to support both buyers and suppliers. NHS England emphasised that the redesigned form aims to tackle long‑standing industry feedback around complexity, duplication and inconsistent interpretation across organisations.

Version 2 of the form is now live, with a transition period running to 6 April 2026, during which buying organisations are encouraged—though not mandated—to adopt the new form for new procurements. Existing procurements using the previous DTAC version will not need to restart or resubmit documentation. The intention is to avoid multiple versions circulating simultaneously while maintaining flexibility for local teams.

Updated guidance: clearer scope, roles and expectations

Alongside the form, DHSC and NHS England have released a comprehensive suite of updated guidance, clarifying:

What DTAC applies to, with stronger alignment to the NICE definition of digital health technologies
How DTAC should be used in practice, including for pilots, multi‑organisation procurements and in‑house product development
Governance roles and responsibilities, ensuring clarity on who should assess each section
Requirements that have been removed, such as outdated CSO training expectations that had created bottlenecks
The misconception that DTAC is a “badge” – reinforced as an assessment framework, not a certification of a product

The guidance also includes clearer rules on the application of the DCB clinical safety standards and strengthened alignment with data protection, cybersecurity and interoperability requirements.

Preparing for longer‑term reform

The speakers outlined a roadmap toward more transformational reforms beyond the interim updates. NHS England is exploring:

Harmonisation with international standards
Feasibility of a future certification‑based approach, enabling suppliers to “tell the NHS once”
An online DTAC repository, as part of the Innovator Passport programme, which could eventually reduce variation in local assurance

These changes reflect sustained feedback from both industry and the NHS that the current system can be fragmented and repetitive. The updated form and guidance serve as an interim step while more substantial reform is being developed.

What this means for suppliers

Manufacturers can expect:

Greater predictability on evidence requirements
Less duplication, with questions removed where covered by DSPT or other regulatory processes
Clearer expectations on version‑specific DTAC packs
Reduced variation between buyers—including explicit guidance discouraging local amendments to the national form

What this means for buyers

For NHS organisations, the reforms support:

More consistent application of DTAC nationally
Clearer rules on which products are in scope
Less duplication across assurance routes
More structured expectations for governance and review responsibilities

The updated guidance is intended to accelerate procurement timelines by reducing unnecessary variation and improving the quality and consistency of assurance activity across the system.

Looking ahead

DHSC and NHS England closed the session by reiterating that the changes are grounded entirely in user feedback from suppliers, buyers and clinical safety experts. While longer‑term transformational changes will take more time, the interim updates aim to deliver immediate improvements that reduce burden, clarify expectations and promote greater national consistency.

The Joint Policy Unit expressed its thanks to stakeholders for their extensive engagement throughout the review and encouraged participants to share any further questions for follow‑up.

Rachel Kennedy

Programme Manager Health and Social Care, techUK

Rachel joined techUK in December 2024, as a Programme Manager in the Health and Social Care team.

Prior to this, Rachel worked at a specialist health and social care public affairs agency, working with a range of organisations and trade bodies across the medical technology, pharmaceutical, digital health and social care sectors. As well as this, Rachel was part of the Secretariat for a number of health and care related All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

Rachel has a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Leeds, as well as a first-class honours in Politics BA from Newcastle University.

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