The government’s new 10-Year Health Plan shows a bold shift in NHS priorities – towards community-based care, digital innovation, and prevention. For the life sciences and medtech sector, this opens the door to new collaborations, technologies, and patient-centred solutions.
Medilink Midlands welcomes the recognition that industry, academia, and third-sector partners must work alongside the NHS to drive these ambitions forward. As the voice of industry across our region, we are fully aligned with these priorities and committed to supporting our members to navigate and respond to the evolving landscape – enabling them to contribute meaningfully to this transformation.
Summary of the key priorities:
Three big shifts:
- From hospital to community: Care closer to home, via Neighbourhood Health Centres and digital-first delivery.
- From analogue to digital: A fully AI-enabled NHS, with the NHS App as a central “digital front door” for patients.
- From sickness to prevention: Strong focus on early intervention, genomics, lifestyle support, and population health.
What this means for innovators in life sciences and medtech
- Greater demand for digital tools and AI-enabled diagnostics that integrate with the NHS App and digital patient records.
- Opportunities to co-develop new models of care in neighbourhood settings, from community diagnostics to remote monitoring.
- Commercial potential for wearables, genomics, and personalised health platforms — especially those focused on prevention and population health.
- Increased openness to partnerships and procurement reform, making it easier for innovators to engage earlier in service design and delivery.
- Stronger focus on outcomes-based funding – innovators will need to demonstrate real-world impact and value.
