The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published details of its role in delivering the government's 10-year health and care plan. The strategy outlines three core priorities designed to make NICE's guidance more timely and impactful, ensuring faster and fairer patient access to the best medical innovations.
A major new initiative will create a clear and coordinated pathway for high-impact health technologies, including digital tools and diagnostics. This will formalise their evaluation in a similar manner to medicines. Sarah Byron, the programme director leading this work, confirmed that technologies recommended through this pathway will be eligible for national NHS funding, ensuring they are rolled out evenly across the country. A consultation on changes to the health technology appraisal manual is currently underway, concluding this month. The first technologies for appraisal are expected to be announced in December 2025, with evaluations starting by February 2026.
Secondly, the plan introduces a "whole life-cycle" approach to guidance to ensure smarter spending and keep pace with clinical practice. Rather than assessing treatments once, NICE will continually review evidence as it emerges. This will phase out less effective innovations, expand access to cost-effective options like biosimilars, and create financial headroom for new breakthroughs. Jacoline Bouvy, a programme director at NICE, stated this will help the NHS "reinvest in what matters most." The first guidance using this method, an update for chronic heart failure published in September 2025, is projected to save thousands of lives annually by getting medicines to patients up to a year earlier.
Most significantly, the plan will streamline market access by aligning NICE's work with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Currently, NICE's assessment of clinical and cost-effectiveness begins after the MHRA has ruled on a medicine's safety. Under the new system, both decisions will be published at the same time where possible. Jenna Dilkes, an associate director at NICE, anticipates this parallel process will bring medicines to patients three to six months sooner. Following a joint webinar this month, the aligned pathway will be opened to early adopters before a full launch by April 2026.
Title: 10 year health plan for the NHS
Date: 21 September 2025
