Health, social care and life sciences policy review (Q1 2026): event round-up
Last week, the techUK Health and Social Care programme hosted the latest edition of our Quarterly Health and Life Sciences Policy Update , a recurring briefing designed to help members and industry leaders cut through the noise and get a joined-up view of what's moving across government, the NHS, and the regulators.
Last week, the techUK Health and Social Care programme hosted the latest edition of our Quarterly Health and Life Sciences Policy Update , a recurring briefing designed to help members and industry leaders cut through the noise and get a joined-up view of what's moving across government, the NHS, and the regulators.
The full recording and presentation slides are accessible below, scroll down to access both resources.
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Our quarterly updates are designed to pull all policy developments together into one cohesive image. Each quarter we map the announcements, strategies, and consultations that matter most to industry, and explain what they mean in practice.
This quarter's session walked attendees through six interconnected policy areas:
We opened with the Department of Health and Social Care withthe UK–US Pharmaceutical Partnership, the new SME Playbook, and the Pandemic Preparedness Strategy and the updated Women’s Health Strategies.
From the Office for Life Sciences, we unpacked the Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators 2026, including the updated methodology aligned to the Life Sciences Sector Plan's 2030 ambition, and what the latest numbers on R&D investment, clinical trials, and academic citations tell us about the UK's relative position.
The NHS England section covered the nine conditions announced for the NHS Online Hospital launch, the new AI Ambient Voice Technology registry, the Digital Medicines First of Type scheme, and Sir Jim Mackey's 2026/27 planning priorities, all of which shape the near-term procurement and adoption landscape.
We turned next to the devolved nations, with a look at the NHS Wales Planning Framework followed by a segment on the 7 May 2026 elections and the pre-election period of sensitivity now in effect across Scotland, Wales, and English local authorities.
On the regulatory front, we covered the MHRA's AI Call for Evidence, the CE Mark recognition consultation, and the now-operational MHRA–NICE Aligned Pathway.
Access the resources
Whether you joined us live or are catching up now, the full session is available on this page:
Watch the recording
Download the presentation slides for a reference deck you can share internally!
The quarterly update is just one of the ways the Health and Social Care programme supports members in navigating the UK policy landscape. If any of the topics covered prompted questions, if you'd like to explore how a development affects your organisation, or if you'd like to contribute to an upcoming techUK consultation response, the team would love to hear from you.
Please reach out to the techUK Health and Social Care team directly, we're here to help you make sense of what's changing, connect you into the right conversations, and amplify industry voice where it matters most.
Viola Pastorino
Junior Programme Manager, Health and Care Team, techUK
Viola Pastorino is a policy, governance, and strategic communication specialist.
She joined techUK as the Junior Programme Manager in the Health and Care Team in April 2024.
She has obtained a Bachelor of Sciences in Governance, Economics, and Development from Leiden University, and a Master's programme in Strategic Communications at King's College London. Her academic background, leading up to a dissertation on AI policy influence and hands-on campaign development, is complemented by practical experience in international PR and grassroots project management.
She is skilled in qualitative and quantitative analysis and comfortable communicating findings to varying stakeholders. Above all, she is deeply passionate about the intersection of technology and government, especially how technology and global discourse shape one another, the processes that lead to belief polarisation and radicalisation of communities, and crafting strategic narratives that steer public discourse.
Outside of work she loves reading, live music light operation, and diving.
techUK is helping its members navigate the complex space of digital health in the UK to ensure our NHS and social care sector is prepared for the challenges of the future. We help validate new ideas and build impactful strategies, ultimately ensuring that members are market-ready. Visit the programme page here.
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techUK Presentation Health, social care and life sciences policy review Q1 April 2026
