Life sciences plan aims to support a prevention-focused NHS

The government has published its Life Sciences Sector Plan, setting out a 10 year mission to harness scientific innovation for economic growth and support a prevention-focused NHS.

The plan, published on 16 July 2025, aims to build upon and extend the ambitions set out in the NHS 10 year health plan.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, said: “This Life Sciences Sector Plan represents a pivotal moment in our mission to rebuild the NHS and shift our healthcare system from one that treats illness to one that prevents it.

“By bringing together the brilliance of British science with the power of our NHS, we’re not just improving healthcare outcomes – we’re building a stronger economy and creating jobs across the country.”

The plan includes a commitment to more than £2bn in government funding over the lifetime of the spending review, plus funding from UK Research and Innovation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

“The £2bn investment will help us make the most of our world-leading health data, speed up access to innovative treatments, and transform the experience of patients,” Streeting said.

The plan is built around three core pillars: enabling world-class research and development; making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest; and driving health innovation and NHS reform.

A roadmap for delivering on these pillars focuses on six actions to kickstart change:

• Unlock NHS data to find new cures: An investment of up to £600m will support the building of an advanced health data system
• Speed up clinical trials by cutting red tape enabling patients to join trials sooner and access life-changing medicines promptly.
• Up to £520m will be invested in life sciences manufacturing projects to create high-skilled jobs and make more treatments and medical devices within Britain.
• The plans aims to boost departmental support for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency with additional investment, aiding simpler and faster regulation.
• An NHS ‘passport’ will support the roll out of proven tools faster.
• A minimum of one major industry partnership will be secured every year, offering support for fast-growing companies to raise investment, scale up and stay in the UK.

Dr Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, called the plan “a major step forward, accelerating patient access to the latest health innovations through better industry partnerships, solidifying the NHS’s role in economic growth”.

“Through initiatives like the Health Data Research Service and ‘innovator passports,’ we’re unlocking data’s potential for cures and fast-tracking proven health technologies, ultimately transforming patient care and making the NHS fit for the future,” he added.

Nick Lansman, chief executive and founder of the Health Tech Alliance, said the plan demonstrates “a commitment to creating an environment where innovation can thrive, from accelerating clinical research to supporting the scale-up of UK life sciences businesses and ensuring faster patient access to cutting-edge technologies”.

However Dr Kylie Bromley, general manager and managing director at Biogen UK & Ireland, raised concerns about the plan’s failure to address an underinvestment in innovative medicines, which “increasingly denies NHS patients access to treatments that are readily available in other countries”.