What potential does the healthtech sector hold for the NHS in 2020?

Krittika Bhattacharya, public affairs officer at Health Tech Alliance, explains her thoughts.

As we enter a new year, following a turbulent few months of political infighting and election battles, one thing has been made abundantly clear – that the NHS and its values remain deeply important to the electorate, across the country. As services struggle under winter pressures, stretched budgets and an ageing population, polls showed that healthcare was the most important issue to voters at this election, ahead of Brexit.

We, the Health Tech Alliance believe that the UK’s thriving healthtech sector holds enormous potential in alleviating pressures on clinical staff, enabling greater self-care among patients and reducing bed days – all of which benefit both patient outcomes and easing the immense burden on the NHS. It is therefore our mission to ensure that patients can access the wealth of cost-effective and transformative innovation that are being produced by alleviating the market access and reimbursement obstacles that currently affect companies of all sizes. 

The Alliance is an informal coalition of healthtech companies, seeking to do this by working collaboratively and problem-solving with the various health service bodies. Chaired by Dame Barbara Hakin – former deputy chief executive of NHS England - the alliance has engaged regularly with key stakeholders from within NICE, NHS England, NHS Digital, NIHR, the Academic Health Science Networks and government and civil service. Members benefit from regular, intimate working groups where they can engage directly with stakeholders across the health system, share best practice with industry peers and explore opportunities for further collaboration with leading market access experts and other members.

Why this focus on collaboration, rather than competition? Well, the Alliance has found that utilising the expertise of our industry members to develop constructive ideas and clear evidence of the benefits of technologies to the NHS and the wider society, engenders a more productive response from the health service. While these efforts may not produce an immediate level of reimbursement, they can lead to a cultural shift that allows key decision-makers to see innovation as part of the solution to pressing issues facing the NHS, rather than a luxury to be invested in down-the-line.

It is clear too, that as policy moves in a positive direction, a unified voice is required from the sector. The refreshed Accelerated Access Collaborative, the introduction of the Long-Term Plan and its commitment of a medtech funding mandate all demonstrate high-level ambition but as we enter a new decade the health service and industry must work to implement these measures efficiently and effectively.

Wider changes will also present opportunities and challenges for industry – the advent of Integrated Care Systems and the impact of leaving the EU on medical device regulations are just two issues where it is fundamental that the voice of companies is heard when informing decisions. The Alliance regularly engages with government departments, health bodies and parliamentarians to ensure that the voice of healthtech is considered on behalf of our members.

The challenges that the UK’s health service face are widespread but through collective, constructive and collaborative dialogue, innovative technologies have a positive impact and - most importantly - significantly enhance patient outcomes.