The Scottish Government has allocated £11.1 million of capital funding to clinical research and £1 million of resource funding to improve health technology assessment processes under the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG). The allocations are recorded in Scotland's 2026–27 Autumn Budget Revision.
The funding comes from the separate VPAG Life Sciences Investment Programme, financed through additional industry payments alongside the scheme's main affordability mechanism. The UK-wide programme was established with around £400 million over five years, with the largest share intended for clinical trials and smaller allocations for HTA and manufacturing.
Scotland's allocation places most of its current funding behind research infrastructure. The £11.1 million capital provision supports clinical research capacity, while the £1 million resource allocation provides dedicated funding for work on HTA processes.
The budget document does not specify individual research projects or describe the HTA improvements that will be funded. It therefore gives a clear financial commitment without yet defining how the additional HTA resource will change assessment procedures or delivery.
The allocation adds a Scottish implementation component to the wider VPAG programme. It strengthens both evidence-generation capacity and the infrastructure used to assess new medicines, complementing separate UK initiatives on valuation, uptake and patient access announced during 2026.
Source: Scottish Government
Link: Autumn Budget Revision 2026–2027: supporting document
Date: 24 September 2026
Source: Department of Health and Social Care
Link: 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth: summary of the heads of agreement
Date: 20 November 2023
