Most healthtech companies are months into NHS procurement before they realise how it actually works

Timelines, stakeholders, and evidence thresholds vary by trust, ICB, and product type in ways nobody warns you about. Some suppliers have already pulled products because the numbers stopped working.

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Mapping the specific procurement pathway for your product, which framework, which stakeholders, which evidence requirements, and building a realistic timeline is the starting point. Most companies can halve their sales cycle with the right navigation.

This problem is Solvable.

NHS procurement is genuinely complex and varies significantly by trust, ICB, and product type. Most healthtech companies underestimate the timeline, the number of stakeholders, and the evidence requirements. The result is a sales cycle that stretches to 18 months or more.

The complexity of NHS procurement stems from its highly decentralised nature, with significant variations in processes, stakeholders, and evidence requirements across individual NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and product categories.
This structural fragmentation, coupled with a risk-averse culture and a focus on cost rather than value, leads to protracted sales cycles and a lack of clear pathways for innovative HealthTech solutions.
Behavioural factors include a lack of understanding among HealthTech companies regarding the nuances of NHS purchasing, and a tendency within the NHS to default to established suppliers.

22% of HealthTech suppliers have removed products from sale because the price the NHS was prepared to pay was below cost (ABHI, 2024)

Delayed adoption of innovative HealthTech solutions
Inefficient resource allocation within HealthTech companies for market access
Increased operational costs for NHS due to inefficient manual processes
Lost revenue opportunities for HealthTech companies due to prolonged sales cycles
Delayed patient access to clinically beneficial technologies
Suboptimal patient outcomes due to reliance on outdated solutions
Damage to the UK's reputation as a hub for HealthTech innovation
Erosion of trust between HealthTech industry and the NHS

What it looks like in practice

HealthTech companies spending significant resources on tenders they are ill-equipped to win due to a lack of understanding of specific NHS needs.
Innovative products failing to gain traction despite clear clinical benefits, due to difficulties navigating complex procurement frameworks.
Protracted sales cycles exceeding 18 months, leading to cash flow issues and delayed patient access to new technologies.
Frustration and disengagement from both HealthTech suppliers and NHS staff due to perceived bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of transparency.

Paul Robinson

14 years in UK private healthcare

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