The UK government has unveiled its first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy, which aims to ensure that patients have access to safe, effective and innovative medical devices.
The NHS already spends around £10bn annually on medtech such as pacemakers and imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.
Remote monitoring, virtual reality (VR) for training, and drone delivery systems have all been explored by the NHS in partnerships with other bodies, and this month the health service also began a trial of robot support staff from the start-up Academy of Robotics.
The medtech strategy aims to set up a blueprint for accelerating access to new technologies such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines.
As well as helping patients to take more control of their own care in their day-to-day lives, the effective development and implementation of medical technology can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly.
This can help to free up clinician time and ultimately reduce waiting lists, the government said in a statement.
Strategy aims to ensure that the UK is prepared for any future pandemic
The medtech strategy has a number of key aims, including boosting the supply of equipment to meet future challenges such as pandemics, ensuring that there are resilient supply chains in place.
It also aims to improve the day-to-day performance of the NHS, with technology allowing for speedier diagnosis and treatment.
It will seek to encourage new research to position the UK at the forefront of the medtech sector, producing jobs and investment in the process.
According to the government statement, there were already 60 or so innovative medtech research projects active in 2021, representing more than £1bn of funding.
The strategy also aims to increase the awareness and understanding of medtech among clinicians, which would in turn lead to more informed purchasing of new products according to clinical need and effectiveness.
The safety aspect of medtech would see improved collaboration between bodies including the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
An implementation plan will be published later in 2023 and is set to include a review of the £1bn spent on appliances within primary care and comparison tools designed to improve decision-making in the purchasing process.
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