Clinicians see the value, but NHS approval processes are killing your pipeline

NHS Trusts face immense pressure and have slow approval processes for clinical studies and new technology integration. This, coupled with a lack of clear demand signaling from clinicians, makes it difficult for healthtech solutions to secure the necessary clinical buy-in and referrals for widespread use.

• Structural root causes include the fragmented nature of the NHS, with varying approval processes across different Trusts, and a procurement system often prioritising short-term cost savings over long-term innovation benefits.
• Behavioural causes involve clinician resistance to change due to existing heavy workloads and lack of clear incentives for adopting new technologies.
• Systemic issues include insufficient funding for healthtech integration support within Trusts and a lack of standardised pathways for technology evaluation and adoption.

The NHS sales cycle is described as long and complex, and has been cited as dissuading private investors from engaging in investments where the NHS is the intended customer. This protracted process can significantly impact the time it takes to realise revenue (KPMG, 2024).

• Increased administrative burden on NHS staff managing fragmented technology solutions and manual referral processes
• Inefficient patient pathways due to delays in accessing innovative diagnostic or treatment tools
• Significant financial losses for healthtech companies due to prolonged sales cycles and high market entry costs
• Missed opportunities for NHS cost savings and efficiency gains from innovative solutions
• Delayed patient access to innovative diagnostics and treatments
• Potential for suboptimal patient outcomes due to reliance on older technologies
• Damage to the UK's reputation as a leader in health innovation if promising technologies fail to scale within the NHS
• Erosion of trust between healthtech innovators and NHS organisations due to perceived barriers to adoption

What it looks like in practice

• Healthtech solutions remain in pilot phases for extended periods without progressing to widespread adoption
• Clinicians express interest in new technology but struggle to allocate time or resources for formal evaluation and integration
• NHS procurement processes stall, with tenders focusing on lowest cost rather than value-based outcomes from innovative solutions
• Healthtech companies expend significant resources on business development and clinical engagement with limited return on investment