DHSC to launch ‘innovator passport’ to accelerate tech adoption

An ‘innovator passport’ will be introduced over the next two years to allow technology that has been robustly assessed by one NHS organisation to be easily rolled out to others, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced.

The move is a key part of the government’s NHS 10 year health plan, which is expected to be published this week. 

In a press release, published on 2 July 2025, DHSC said that the innovator passport would be an ‘one-stop shop’ which allows organisations “to join up with the NHS quicker than ever before through the removal of needless bureaucracy”.

The passport will be delivered through MedTech Compass, a digital platform developed by DHSC to make effective technologies more visible and widely available.

MedTech Compass helps speed up decision-making in trusts by making the evidence underpinning technologies clear to NHS buyers, with the aim of allowing technology to scale faster and making it easier for trusts to find, assess, and adopt proven technologies.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, said: “For too long, Britain’s leading scientific minds have been held back by needless admin that means suppliers are repeatedly asked for the same data in different formats by different trusts – this is bad for the NHS, patients and bad for business. 

 “These innovator passports will save time and reduce duplication, meaning our life sciences sector – a central part of our 10 year health plan – can work hand in hand with the health service and make Britain a powerhouse for medical technology.

 “Frustrated patients will no longer have to face a postcode lottery for lifesaving products to be introduced in their area and companies will be able to get their technology used across the NHS more easily, creating a health service fit for future under the Plan for Change.”

The innovator passport will mean that once a healthcare tool has been assessed by one NHS organisation, further NHS organisations will not be able to insist on repeated assessments, reducing the need for local NHS systems to spend their limited resources on bureaucratic processes that have already been completed elsewhere.

The DHSC said that the digital system will act as “a dynamic best buyer’s guide, making it easier for trusts to compare products side-by-side in one place”.

Dr Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, said: “We’re seeing the impact improvements to technology are having on our everyday lives on everything from smartwatches to fitness trackers – and we want to make sure NHS patients can benefit from the latest medical technology and innovations as well.

“The new innovator passports will speed up the roll-out of new health technology in the NHS which has been proven to be effective, so that patients can benefit from new treatments much sooner.”

The plan will also form part of the industrial strategy through the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, which DHSC said is intended to “turbocharge Britain’s life sciences sector”.