To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Health Service supply chain's record in adopting innovative medical devices.
Answered on
29 September 2021
NHS Supply Chain does not determine which products are appropriate for adoption by the National Health Service but respond where products are selected by NHS England and NHS Improvement for adoption via routes such as MedTech Funding and the Accelerated Access Collaborative.
Medical devices cover a wide spectrum of products, including digital health. A number of procurement frameworks have been established allow the NHS to procure digital innovations. Such framework agreements already accommodate medical device innovations from existing suppliers and there are currently no plans for additional frameworks. Initiatives such as the Rapid Uptake Products programme facilitate stronger adoption of proven innovations, by identifying products with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s approval which support the NHS Long Term Plan’s key clinical priorities.