TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for improving patient access to innovative medicines and health technologies in the UK.
With the Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10 Year Health Plan placing emphasis on improving access to innovation and strengthening the UK's position as a destination for research and investment, delegates will discuss implications for regulation, health technology assessment, NHS adoption and commercial arrangements for new treatments. It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to assess what recent and forthcoming changes could mean in practice for patients, the NHS, industry, researchers, regulators and others involved in the development, evaluation and adoption of medicines and health technologies.
The conference takes place alongside reform to regulatory and appraisal pathways, proposals for more consistent adoption across the NHS, and continuing debate around pricing, reimbursement and investment conditions. Areas for discussion include what will be needed from policy, regulation and practice moving forward, including approaches to addressing delays between approval and uptake, variation in patient access, evidence requirements, NHS readiness, affordability and value for money.
Regulation
Discussion will assess changes to regulatory and appraisal pathways, including the joint MHRA-NICE approach and wider coordination between marketing authorisation, health technology assessment and NHS adoption. Delegates will consider implications for evidence requirements, decision-making timelines, launch planning and confidence in standards for safety, clinical evaluation and cost-effectiveness.
Further discussion is expected on proposals intended to support more consistent access to medicines and technologies across the NHS, including a Single National Formulary and expanded NICE evaluation activity. Attendees will consider implications for commissioning, prioritisation, local decision-making and approaches to reducing unwarranted variation while maintaining appropriate clinical and financial scrutiny.
Pricing, reimbursement & investment
The agenda will examine pricing, reimbursement and commercial arrangements following developments in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth and updates to the NHS Commercial Framework. Discussion is expected on the balance between affordability for the NHS, value for money for taxpayers, and the conditions needed to support investment, research and timely launches in the UK.
Attendees will assess priorities for commercial agreements, value-based arrangements and reimbursement models, including how they might operate for advanced therapies, high-cost medicines, diagnostics and digital technologies. Wider discussion is expected on market predictability, budget impact, commercial confidentiality and implications for patient access.
Service readiness, digital health tools & clinical trials
Sessions will consider practical requirements for introducing new medicines, diagnostics and health technologies into routine care, recognising that regulatory approval and positive appraisal do not by themselves resolve questions of adoption. Delegates will discuss NHS capacity, workforce capability, procurement, data infrastructure, pathway redesign and support for implementation across different parts of the health system.
There will also be discussion on AI-enabled diagnostics, decision-support tools and wider digital health technologies. Areas for consideration include regulatory oversight, transparency, safety, data governance, clinical accountability and practical routes for integrating digital tools into patient care.
Further discussion will focus on clinical research and trial participation, including the UK's attractiveness as a location for research and development, diversity in trials, and links between research activity, regulatory approval and earlier patient access. Delegates will consider how industry, NHS organisations, regulators, research bodies and patient groups can work through practical barriers to translating innovation into routine care.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy:
- Life Sciences Sector Plan and 10 Year Health Plan - implications for medicines, diagnostics and health technologies - patient access, NHS adoption and UK research and investment
- regulation:
- MHRA-NICE joint process - marketing authorisation and health technology assessment - evidence requirements, timelines, launch planning and safety and evaluation standards
- health technology assessment:
- NICE capacity and expanded evaluation activity - prioritisation, cost-effectiveness and lifecycle assessment - implications for medicines, diagnostics, digital tools and existing treatments
- NHS adoption:
- Single National Formulary proposals - reducing unwarranted regional variation - commissioning, local decision-making, implementation capacity and consistency of access after approval
- patient access:
- delays in regulatory approval, NICE guidance and NHS uptake - implications for patients, clinicians and industry - options for improving access while maintaining appropriate scrutiny
- pricing and reimbursement:
- VPAG payment rates and reform options - affordability, VFM and innovation incentives - confidential commercial agreements, value-based models and the NHS Commercial Framework
- investment conditions:
- UK attractiveness for research, development and launch - market predictability, commercial returns, international comparisons - industry decisions and life sciences growth implications
- advanced therapies and diagnostics:
- adoption routes for high-cost and complex innovations - service readiness, specialist infrastructure and workforce capability - procurement, pathway redesign and scaling across services
- AI and digital health:
- regulation of AI-enabled diagnostics and decision-support tools - transparency, safety, clinical accountability and data governance - integration into routine care and public confidence
- clinical development:
- clinical trials reform and participation - diversity and representativeness in research - links between NHS research capacity, regulatory approval and earlier patient access
- equity and variation:
- regional disparities in access and adoption - implications for patients and local health systems - supporting consistent uptake without removing necessary local clinical judgement
- international relationships:
- cooperation with regulators and partners - implications for approvals, standards and evidence generation
