Medical technology: partner with the UK to develop new products
Published 15 October 2018
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The UK medical technology sector is a thriving ecosystem of researchers, scientists, engineers, designers and National Health Service (NHS) clinicians working in an established industrial base. Together they steer development of a new technology from innovation, to design and manufacture, and finally to the patient.
There are over 3,500 companies in the UK’s medical technology sector, generating a turnover of £22 billion and producing a vast range of medical devices and diagnostic technologies.
Advantages of the UK as a medical technology partner
Working with the UK, you’ll have access to:
- a single healthcare market of over 60 million patients
- innovative researchers, and dedicated research centres and networks
- national medical engineering centres of excellence
- rapid prototyping, through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult
- world-class clinical evidence development of clinical utility and cost effectiveness
- the world renowned National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), giving you access to the NHS
UK medical technology research and development
The NHS is the largest unified healthcare system in the world, treating almost 1 million patients on a daily basis. Medical technology research and development (r&d) benefits from the UK’s unique data capabilities, including longitudinal clinical data and well defined patient cohorts. This helps to optimise product positioning and care pathways.
The Clinical Practice Research Datalink enables:
- observational studies
- clinical trial feasibility and protocol optimisation
- postmarket surveillance
Industry can connect with pioneering researchers in engineering, physical, social, medical, and digital sciences and collaborate with the UK’s world class universities and research organisations, through networks such as the Knowledge Transfer Network.
Medical technology design prototyping and manufacturing in the UK
The Wellcome Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council fund 4 centres of excellence in medical engineering in the UK.
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult connects businesses with leading scientists and engineers to transform ideas into products and services, supported by a strong supply chain.
UK clinical research infrastructure for medical technology
MedTech companies can work within the UK’s dedicated infrastructure, with partners for device and diagnostic studies, enabled by data.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure fosters collaboration between industry, academic institutions and the NHS, to enable studies which provide evidence for NHS uptake of technologies.
The UK’s devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offer single access points to each of their research infrastructures.
Disease specific and general clinical expertise is available for MedTech research studies through the NIHR Clinical Research Network. NIHR medical device and in-vitro diagnostics cooperatives work closely with industry to develop and generate evidence for technologies in areas of high unmet need within the NHS.
Regulatory approval for medical technology in the UK
The UK is home to the globally respected regulator, the MHRA, and its dedicated Innovation Office. This helps MedTech organisations to navigate the regulatory processes, and frequently processes clinical investigations in under 60 days.
The Integrated Research Application System is a UK-wide system that streamlines the process for applying for permissions and approvals.
Health technology assessment and market entry in the UK
NICE produces independent, authoritative and evidence-based guidance on the most effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and ill health.
NICE’s Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme identifies medical technologies that have the potential to offer substantial benefit to patients and the NHS. AHSNs help NHS adoption and dissemination of innovative technologies with the CE Mark.
Contact Life Sciences Organisation (LSO)
LSO is made up of a mixed team of civil servants and private sector specialists based in the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT).
It provides support for:
- UK life sciences companies doing business overseas
- foreign life sciences companies wanting to invest in the UK
Contact LSO for more information on commercial opportunities in the UK’s life sciences sector.
You can find out more about investing in the UK at great.gov.uk.