Medical Technology Strategy
The strategy recognises the importance of innovative technologies in reducing current pressures on the health service and allowing patients to better manage their own health, providing a clear vision for coordinating actions to deliver change.
The vision outlines 3 central objectives: right product, right price and right place.
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Right product
The strategy details that products must be clinically safe and effective, by developing best practice regulations and safety standards. Clinical leadership is at the forefront of the strategy, ensuring both clinicians and patients can make informed decisions on products with certainty.
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Right price
Products must provide value for public money and consider affordability, long-term value and patient outcomes – with an understanding that ‘lowest price’ doesn’t always equate to best value. High quality data will provide greater confidence that prices are reasonable for the health service and suppliers.
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Right place
The importance of supply chain resilience and access to Medtech products as and when they are needed is of paramount importance, and the strategy encourages suppliers to ensure supply-chain resilience is a top priority for Medtech businesses.
These objectives will be delivered by four priority areas of focus:
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Resilience and continuity of supply
Continuity of supply of medical equipment, devices and consumables is essential for the consistent delivery of safe, high quality patient care. It also encourages suppliers to move away from single-use products to multi-use solutions which will work in-tandem with the NHS Net Zero plan.
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Innovative and dynamic markets
The strategy also considers how to build upon the success of the UK Medtech sector and allow innovative and dynamic markets to flourish. It recommends a clear set of frameworks are developed to ensure healthcare providers are not overwhelmed by the proliferation of available products. Additionally, the strategy outlines the need to develop a product evaluation system with industry and streamline the procurement process to provide great clarity to suppliers. techUK called for the streamlining of procurement frameworks in our report, Right from the Start, and looks forward to working with NHS England in our new Community of Practice to tackle these issues.
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Enabling Infrastructure
Delivering the Medtech vision will require the further development of key enablers, including improving data collection and standards to build a comprehensive data landscape and ensure informed decisions can be made.
The plan further sets out how to strengthen the relationship with industry and create channels for government and suppliers to engage centrally, aiming to establish a culture of collaborative working, open and honest conversations whilst respecting commercial sensitivities.
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Specific market focuses
The strategy recognises several market areas facing specific issues, including the use of Medtech in the community and diagnostics.
By focusing on providing meaningful choice, modernising administrative arrangements, and embracing new commercial and service models in Medtech in the community, the strategy hopes to ensure patients can make informed choices about the products available to them, increase and streamline the speed of systems and reduce regional differentiation in services.
The development of Community Diagnostic Centres, with an aim of up to 160 by 2025, will reduce pressure on hospitals and speed up diagnosis and treatment. Digital transformation of diagnostics through new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also enable the current imaging and pathology workforce to optimise working patterns and better support the growth in capacity of imaging services. This will transform the NHS’s ability to deliver more accurate and timely test results.
Join techUK on 21 of February for a briefing with the DHSC Medtech directorate, where David Lawson, Director of Medical Technology at DHSC will provide an overview of the strategy and implications for the technology sector.
Robert Walker
Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.
Robert previously worked at the Pension Protection Fund, within the policy and public affairs team. Prior to this, he worked at the Scottish Parliament, advising politicians and industry stakeholders on a wide range of issues, including rural crime and health policies.
Robert has a degree in Politics and International Relations (MA Hons) from the University of Aberdeen, with a particular focus on strategic studies and energy security. Outside of work he enjoys activities such as running, rugby, boxing and cooking!
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Viola Pastorino
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.
Rachel Kennedy
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.
Tracy Modha
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
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- [email protected]
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- 02073312000
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- www.techuk.org
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