Essential Sessions on Value-Driven Purchasing in the MedTech Industry
The National Health Service (NHS) is set to revolutionise the way it procures medical devices, focusing on the overall value delivered rather than just the price. This shift, known as value-based procurement (VBP), aims to improve patient outcomes, increase clinical efficiency, reduce total care costs, and optimise resource use, such as bed capacity.
This approach aligns with the NHS's 10 Year Health Plan, which emphasises integrating technology, reducing bureaucracy, and promoting innovation within supply chains to transform health services. MedTech suppliers have a crucial role to play in shaping this new methodology, as they can become genuine collaborators rather than just sellers.
Suppliers are encouraged to engage early and continuously with NHS decision-makers, supporting long-term partnership approaches that prioritise clinical and economic benefits over short-term cost savings. By doing so, they can influence procurement processes to better accommodate innovative technologies, particularly those developed domestically, helping reverse the "innovation exodus" where UK innovations have gone overseas due to procurement barriers.
In addition, suppliers are expected to design interoperable, user-centric medical devices and digital systems that seamlessly integrate with the NHS's existing infrastructure. This will enable the NHS to fully harness AI and digital tools as envisioned in the health plan. Participation in national proof-of-concept projects and collaboration with organisations like NHS Supply Chain and the Department of Health can help suppliers align their offerings with the NHS’s evolving VBP priorities.
The MedTech Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care has called on MedTech developers and suppliers to come together with officials. The draft new methodology for assessing value is currently undergoing testing by several local NHS organisations. The Department has called two market engagement sessions and invited suppliers to register to find out more. These online sessions will be held on 7th and 13th May.
Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation, is an advisor to MedTech suppliers and serves as the governor of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre and the chair of the Urology Trade Association. Suppliers are encouraged to register to attend one of these sessions to learn more about the NHS's new VBP procurement for devices and contribute to its successful implementation.
- The NHS aims to transform health services by integrating technology, reducing bureaucracy, and promoting innovation within supply chains, focusing on medical devices that deliver overall value, such as those developed by MedTech suppliers.
- To better accommodate innovative technologies and align with the NHS's 10 Year Health Plan, MedTech suppliers are encouraged to engage in long-term partnerships, prioritizing clinical and economic benefits over short-term cost savings.
- Suppliers are expected to design interoperable, user-centric medical devices and digital systems that can integrate seamlessly with the NHS's existing infrastructure, enabling the full use of AI and digital tools in health and wellness.
- To learn more about the NHS's new value-based procurement (VBP) for medical devices and contribute to its successful implementation, MedTech suppliers are invited to attend market engagement sessions organized by the MedTech Directorate of the Department of Health and Social Care.
