England

On 7 October 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) launched a funding call to support evidence generation for technologies positively recommended through NICE early-use HealthTech guidance. The initiative aims to help generate the additional evidence required for full NICE evaluation and broader NHS adoption. Outline applications are due by 2 December 2026, with final funding decisions expected from June 2027.

On October 14, 2026, NHS England launched an application window for the fourth round of the NHS Cancer Program Innovation Open Call funding competition. The call is seeking innovations that address two key challenges: improving productivity by managing demand or increasing capacity across cancer care pathways, and driving earlier detection and diagnosis of cancer. The submission deadline is December 1, 2026.

In September 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a new early-use HealthTech Guidance (HTG) on digital technologies to support home monitoring of vision changes for people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. Furthermore, a clinical guideline on suspected sepsis in people aged 16 or over was updated with recommendations on procalcitonin testing.

In September 2026, NICE confirmed that rapid MT-RNR1 testing in newborns will be assessed through the National HealthTech Access Programme (NHAP), marking the first time an in vitro diagnostic topic has entered the programme. NHAP applies NICE’s Technology Appraisal methodology to selected health technologies and links positive recommendations to mandatory NHS funding, potentially creating a stronger route to national adoption for selected IVDs.

In August 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England published five Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, concerning craniectomy in acute subdural hematoma, blood-test monitoring strategies for patients on immunosuppressants, home-testing devices for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea, an electronic frailty index, and chronic wound dressing.

In August 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a new routine-use HealthTech Guidance (HTG) on ex-situ machine perfusion devices to preserve deceased donor livers for transplantation.

On August 25, 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated the NICE-wide Topic Prioritisation manual. The key update concerns the routing of HealthTech topics to technology appraisal as part of the new National HealthTech Access Program (NHAP), which is now clearly described in the manual.

On August 17, 2026, the application window opened to join the 2027 NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) program. The application deadline is September 27, 2026.

On August 6, 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its delivery plan, setting out how it will support the safe, effective, and scalable adoption of artificial intelligence across the NHS in 2026/27. The plan focuses on three areas: using AI for evidence generation and evaluation of innovation, evaluating AI-powered health technologies, and using AI to improve NICE’s own work.

On July 16, 2026, NHS England updated the 2026/27 National Genomic Test Directory (NGTD), initially published in April 2026. The directory lists genomic tests commissioned by NHS England and provided through Genomic Laboratory Hubs. One new test was added to the directory for haematological oncology. Three new multi-target NGS panels, including one ctDNA (liquid biopsy), were added to the directory for non-CNS cancers for carcinoma of unknown primary origin.

In July 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England released two Med Tech-related assessments in its HTA Journal, which concerned colon capsule endoscopy and surgery for early structural osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.

On August 3, 2026, NHS England released an updated work plan for the development of Clinical Commissioning Policies for specialised services, reflecting the status as of July 2026. The update includes four new MedTech-related policies in the radiotherapy and orthopedic fields, and the initiation of two new policies in the gastrointestinal and reproductive health areas. The status of ongoing policies has been revised, and two policies for proton beam therapy have been discontinued.