NHS budget a stumbling block for life-sciences strategy, peers told

NHS budgetary constraints could prevent the life sciences industrial strategy from being implemented successfully, two directors of a national oversight body have warned.

Miles Scott, improvement director at NHS Improvement told peers there is “no way around” the fact that budget constraints could obstruct the adoption and spread of innovative technologies and treatments.

Presenting evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee on 19 December, Scott said innovative technologies that improve patient outcomes but are expensive pose the biggest challenge. “That is going to hit up against a total budget envelope. And there’s no way around that, I think,” he said.