The plan - shaped with input from more than 250 organisations including doctors, scientists, NHS leaders and industry experts - aims to ‘double down on the strength of the UK's life sciences sector – turning cutting-edge research into real-world results: new treatments, faster diagnoses, and more lives saved.
The plan sets out a comprehensive roadmap built around three core pillars:
- Enabling World-Class R&D – strengthening the UK's leadership in science and discovery
- Making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest – growing homegrown companies and attracting global capital
- Driving Health Innovation and NHS Reform – delivering better outcomes for patients and a more modern, preventative healthcare system
The Life Sciences Sector Plan will be supported over the lifetime of the Spending Review by government funding of more than £2bn, alongside funding from UKRI and NIHR. The plan's actions include:
- Unlocking NHS data to find new cures - up to £600m investment to build the world's most advanced health data system – helping scientists develop better treatments faster
- Speeding up clinical trials - cutting red tape so patients can join trials sooner – and get access to life-changing medicines quicker
- Backing British manufacturing - up to £520m to invest in life sciences manufacturing projects – creating high-skilled jobs and making more treatments and medical devices here at home.
- Getting new treatments to patients faster - making regulation simpler and faster by boosting departmental support for the MHRA with additional investment – so doctors can use safe, effective innovations without delay.
- Helping doctors use cutting-edge tech - a new NHS ‘passport' to roll out proven tools faster – like AI cancer scanners or wearable devices that detect disease early.
- Backing brilliant UK firms to grow - helping fast-growing companies raise investment, scale up, and stay in the UK – with at least one major industry partnership secured every year.
Science and technology secretary, Peter Kyle, said: ‘The life sciences sector is one of the crown jewels of the UK economy. It sits at the heart of both our Plan for Change, and our Modern Industrial strategy, as a unique catalyst for both economic prosperity, and better health outcomes for people across the UK.
‘Moving in lockstep with industry, academia and our NHS, we will unleash this sector as a force for good and for growth. The suite of measures we're announcing today will unlock its full potential — attracting global investment, accelerating innovation, and delivering breakthroughs that will make the UK healthier, wealthier, and even more open for business.'
Health secretary Wes Streeting added: ‘This Life Sciences Sector Plan represents a pivotal moment in our mission to rebuild the NHS and shift our healthcare system from one that treats illness to one that prevents it.
‘By bringing together the brilliance of British science with the power of our NHS, we're not just improving healthcare outcomes – we're building a stronger economy and creating jobs across the country.
‘The £2bn investment will help us make the most of our world-leading health data, speed up access to innovative treatments, and transform the experience of patients. This is how we deliver a health service fit for the future – by embracing innovation that saves lives, cuts waiting times, and makes the NHS sustainable for generations to come.'
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Lord Ara Darzi, Paul Hamlyn chair of surgery at Imperial College London and consultant surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘This plan is a detailed blueprint for implementation. It marks a profound change not just in how we go about enabling discovery but also in the way we deliver it. It sets the United Kingdom up to lead not just in trialling innovation but in making such innovations have real world impact for the benefit for patients, the National Health Service, and economic growth.'
Dr Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, said: ‘The Life Sciences Sector Plan is a major step forward, accelerating patient access to the latest health innovations through better industry partnerships, solidifying the NHS's role in economic growth. Through initiatives like the Health Data Research Service and ‘innovator passports,' we're unlocking data's potential for cures and fast-tracking proven health technologies, ultimately transforming patient care and making the NHS fit for the future.'
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘Health leaders will welcome the publication of the life sciences sector plan which will play a crucial role in building an NHS that's fit for the future. Having a thriving UK life sciences and innovation sector is key to ensuring patients get access to the treatments and innovations they need and at the best value to the health system.
'For the government's NHS reforms to succeed a successful life sciences programme is key, and the sector benefits from using the NHS as a testbed and delivery partner for new innovations.'
Dr Sam Roberts, chief executive of NICE, said: 'This comprehensive plan establishes a clear vision for how NICE, the NHS, and industry can collaborate to truly transform people's lives through better, more equitable access to innovation. At NICE, we are committed to playing our part in ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of life sciences innovation while delivering a sustainable and effective health service for all.'
Roland Sinker, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘I fully support the Life Sciences Sector Plan and its clear commitments to advancing research, enabling UK life sciences to thrive, and accelerating health innovation. These actions are essential to ensuring that NHS staff and patients are among the first to benefit from the latest breakthroughs.'
Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA, said: ‘It's great to see the MHRA is recognised as a pivotal partner in delivering the plan's vision - by supporting innovation, protecting public health, and making the UK a global destination for innovators to research, develop and launch cutting-edge medical products.
'Working with our partners across the sector, we will continue to enable safe and effective innovation that benefits patients, the public, and the economy.'
Peter Ellingworth, chief executive of the Association of British HealthTech Industries, said: ‘To succeed, this strategy must be delivered in genuine partnership with industry and the NHS, and focused on removing the persistent barriers that prevent patients from benefiting from the best technologies. ABHI and our members are committed to playing an active role in translating these ambitions into tangible improvements for patients, the NHS and the economy.'
Richard Stubbs, chair of the Health Innovation Network, said: ‘The UK is now in a race to the top to become a global powerhouse for the life sciences sector. To achieve this, we will need to go further to find, test and implement health innovations at pace and at scale. It is right that place-based innovation capacity and capabilities have been identified in the Life Science Sector Plan as a key enabler for the sector.'
