The UK HealthTech sector contributes £13 billion to the economy each year, but a lack of funding and skilled workers limits its progress. A report from Imperial College London suggests tax incentives for clinical trials in the UK as a way to bring in more investment and create thousands of new jobs.
Changes to tax rules, such as those on capital gains and employee benefits, could also encourage experienced professionals to join smaller HealthTech firms. A proposed HealthTech Industry Partnership would focus on training workers and connecting businesses with government support.
What Can The NHS Do To Adopt New Technology Faster?
It currently takes the NHS more than 15 years to bring new HealthTech innovations into regular use. The report suggests hiring Chief Innovation Officers at NHS trusts to speed up this process and giving clinicians time to focus on testing and using new tools.
Simplifying approval processes for new technologies and making it easier to navigate procurement would also help. This would make the NHS a more attractive partner for HealthTech companies looking to run trials or introduce new products.
Can Sustainability Be A Bigger Focus In HealthTech?
The NHS wants to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, but this will require big changes in how medical devices and materials are made. The report recommends creating a Sustainable HealthTech Innovation Centre (SHIC) to develop reusable products and reduce waste from single-use plastics.
Introducing a quality mark for sustainable products and working with manufacturers to cut emissions could help the NHS meet its goals. Building systems to recycle and reuse materials would also reduce waste across the healthcare industry.
How Can UK HealthTech Succeed Internationally?
Since the UK makes up only a small part of the global HealthTech market, exporting to other countries is essential. Expanding successful programmes like the ABHI US Accelerator to Asia and the Middle East could help UK companies enter new markets.
Businesses should be given the tools they need to work with international regulations and build partnerships with healthcare providers worldwide. This would help UK HealthTech compete more effectively and grow its presence on the global stage.
Experts Predict HealthTech In 2025
HealthTech has a lot of potential to become a thriving industry in the near future. In terms of the coming year, experts have commented on what they predict. A very special expert leads the way, with a comment from one of the most valuable companies, NVIDIA…
Our Experts
- Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare, NVIDIA
- Andrew Hogue, Co-CEO, NEUROFIT
- Kirsty Lawson, CEO, Luminous Global UK
- Carrie Ramskill, Chief Operating Officer, HGS
- Nayan Jain, Executive Director of AI, ustwo
- Dr. Dominique Demolle, CEO, Cognivia
- Liam Birch, Public Sector Lead, Nerdio
- Rehana Khan, Head of Enterprise, Sync
- Jean-Christophe Granier, CEO, iGii
- Sophie Bassil, Healthcare Account Director, The PHA Group
Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare, NVIDIA
“Human-robotic interaction: Robots will assist human clinicians in a variety of ways, from understanding and responding to human commands, to performing and assisting in complex surgeries.
“It’s being made possible by digital twins, simulation and AI that train and test robotic systems in virtual environments to reduce risks associated with real-world trials. It also can train robots to react in virtually any scenario, enhancing their adaptability and performance across different clinical situations.
“New virtual worlds for training robots to perform complex tasks will make autonomous surgical robots a reality. These surgical robots will perform complex surgical tasks with precision, reducing patient recovery times and decreasing the cognitive workload for surgeons.
“Digital health agents: The dawn of agentic AI and multi-agent systems will address the existential challenges of workforce shortages and the rising cost of care.
“Administrative health services will become digital humans taking notes for you or making your next appointment — introducing an era of services delivered by software and birthing a service-as-a-software industry.
“Patient experience will be transformed with always-on, personalized care services while healthcare staff will collaborate with agents that help them reduce clerical work, retrieve and summarize patient histories, and recommend clinical trials and state-of-the-art treatments for their patients.
“Drug discovery and design AI factories: Just as ChatGPT can generate an email or a poem without putting a pen to paper for trial and error, generative AI models in drug discovery can liberate scientific thinking and exploration.
“Techbio and biopharma companies have begun combining models that generate, predict and optimize molecules to explore the near-infinite possible target drug combinations before going into time-consuming and expensive wet lab experiments.
“The drug discovery and design AI factories will consume all wet lab data, refine AI models and redeploy those models — improving each experiment by learning from the previous one. These AI factories will shift the industry from a discovery process to a design and engineering one.”
Andrew Hogue, Co-CEO, NEUROFIT
“In 2025, healthtech will evolve from merely tracking health metrics to actually providing proactive, real-time interventions. We’re seeing this already with our nervous system regulation technology at NEUROFIT – instead of just measuring stress, we’re using AI and data to help people actively reduce it within minutes.
“The $1T global chronic stress crisis (Cigna Interntional ’19) has created urgent demand for solutions that work quickly and show measurable results.
“Three key trends will emerge: First, we’ll see AI-powered personalisation become even more sophisticated, with interventions tailored to each person’s unique data profiles.
“Second, the integration of somatic (body-based) practices with technology will accelerate as a fast and highly effective way to relieve stress. (Within our community, 95% of users report stress relief within just 5 minutes.)
“Finally, we see the focus shifting from treatment-based health towards preventive health, with technology helping people maintain their wellness, rather than responding to stress and health issues reactively.
“The consumer healthtech companies that succeed will be those that combine scientific validity and data with genuine accessibility, providing tangible outcomes quickly – solutions that work on the order of minutes or days, not months.”
Kirsty Lawson, CEO of Luminous Global UK
“I predict that 2025 will be the year when breast familiarity will become part of more and more people’s daily wellness regime. Tools such as the Luminous hand-held device will be vital to this.
“Luminous is a brand new device which uses RED LED light technology to illuminate the tissue inside your breasts, giving you a better understanding and a visual reference of breast health and what’s happening on the inside and embracing an awareness lifestyle.
“By making it as integral to our daily wellness routines as brushing our teeth, it will help empower people to understand what’s going on inside their breasts in order to help identify any changes and abnormalities early in order for effective treatment to be sought.
“People are already starting to take a more holistic 360 degree approach to their health and wellbeing, and this is the final part of the jigsaw.“
Carrie Ramskill, Chief Operating Officer, HGS
“Looking ahead to next year, we will see the delivery of care and the interface with patients increasingly devolved away from hospitals and surgeries. The need to reduce incremental cost and hospital admissions, as demand from an aging population increases, will result in an increase in telehealth, adoption of digital devices at point of care, and the use of wearables.
“These changes will see artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning playing increasingly critical roles, analysing vast amounts of patient data to enable more precise diagnoses, predictive analytics, and personalised treatment plans.
“In summary, we’ll see more focus on accessibility, personalisation and preventative care, enabled by devolved use of technology.”
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Nayan Jain, Executive Director of AI, ustwo
“AI in Diagnostics & Precision Care: Early Detection and Precision Care. From breast cancer screening to X-ray analysis, AI is enhancing the accuracy and speed of medical diagnostics. These advances promise earlier interventions but bring challenges around data privacy and the role of human expertise.
“Improved Brain Computer Interface (BCI) models: New Advances Enable AI to Act Directly on screen Information (e.g. Claude AI). This can also be applied to BCI systems for those with motor neuron issues. Direct stimulation of brain tissue has become available, enabling brain-machine interaction using AI. (e.g. Synchron)
“Reaching the forgotten in health: Most healthtech solutions cater to affluent populations, a critical opportunity lies in expanding access to underserved communities, ensuring innovation benefits everyone.
“Using AI to access public health records, genomic results, and environmental data can assist in care strategies for low income, underrepresented, and edge case groups.
“Gender tech explosion: After decades of neglect, Femtech is addressing gaps in women’s health, moving beyond fertility-focused care to a more comprehensive approach.
“In parallel, D2C platforms like Ro and Manual are shaping Mentech. Subscription-based models now offer integrated, whole-body solutions, transforming how consumers and providers experience healthcare.
“Elderly Care & Technology: Bridging the Gap in an Aging World. By 2050, 1.6 billion people will be over 65, with caregivers increasingly stretched thin.
“As the senior population grows, technology is stepping in to address needs like health, connection, autonomy, and security for both elderly users and caregivers (appointment scheduling, caretaker monitoring, medication tracking, socialising with loved ones, mental health support.”
Dr. Dominique Demolle, CEO, Cognivia
“In 2025, optimization will be more crucial than ever. With an urgent need for better healthcare and more efficient drug development, costs will continue to rise, leaving no choice but to significantly enhance performance. While this has always been a goal, it is now a matter of survival.
“In this context, AI will undoubtedly play a major role. However, the optimal approach will likely be found in companies that use AI not just for incremental gains, but as a catalyst for radical transformation of their processes.
“AI is not the end goal, but a toolkit that provides the key to operational transformation. Companies that grasp this nuance will quickly demonstrate a strategic advantage over their competitors.”
Liam Birch, Public Sector Lead, Nerdio
“Looking ahead to 2025, I expect to see a continued trend to the cloud for the public sector. The Autumn Budget outlined ambitious goals to streamline public sector organisations and save money by bringing the likes of NHS and government departments up to speed with their private sector counterparts.
“As part of the NHS’s 10-year health plan, for example, the government is planning to invest more than £2bn in technology and digital to deliver NHS productivity improvements, free up staff time, ensure all trusts have electronic patient records, improve cyber security, and enhance the NHS App.
“In order to facilitate digital transformation at this scale, we need to see a mindset shift from IT decision-makers within public sector organisations. Many organisations are at an inflexion point: for those whose data is currently stored on-prem, some data centres are coming to the end of life prompting IT leaders to consider what steps they take next.
“NHS Trusts, for example, are likely to benefit from a hybrid model that leverages the cloud for things like operations and running computer systems, while business-critical data like that used for hospital building passes, remain on-site.
“Moving from an ownership to a subscription model is something we’re seeing across industries worldwide (from Spotify and Netflix to business hardware and cloud services) and this is where the public sector must follow suit. It makes more financial sense to outsource data management rather than taking full responsibility for on-site data centres that require security, energy, and ongoing maintenance.”
Rehana Khan, Head of Enterprise, Sync
“The health-tech sector is set for transformative growth in 2025, driven by innovations and strategic advancements in AI, cybersecurity, and frontline digitisation. AI advancements in healthcare will streamline decision making and administrative tasks to boost clinical efficiency. To adapt to these developments in AI, the health-tech sector will also see greater crackdowns on cyber-security, ensuring the robust protection of sensitive patient records amidst increasing digitisation.
“Patients may become more empowered thanks to expanded access to health records and self-care tools, enabling informed, proactive healthcare management. We will most likely also see a growth in virtual consultations thanks to a broader adoption of tech reducing barriers to care and making routine appointments more convenient than ever.
“It is the Frontline Digitisation of tech in healthcare that will make the most difference in 2025. Over the last year, Sync’s partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has seen 8,000 Apple devices supplied to healthcare professionals, revolutionising administrative efficiency in hospitals.
“Partnerships like these are a watershed moment for healthcare digitisation, health-tech companies are paving the way for healthcare innovation by enhancing connectivity, streamlining workflows, and ultimately improving patient outcomes day-to-day.
“As we look to 2025, the health-tech sector is poised to transform care delivery and management through innovative digital solutions. By expanding access to healthcare through virtual consultations and streamlining operations with technology, the sector is becoming the backbone of modern healthcare. Businesses like Sync are at the forefront of this evolution, driving impactful change by providing cutting-edge solutions to hospitals, trusts and NHS staff across the UK.”
Jean-Christophe Granier, CEO, iGii
“2025 is set to be a breakthrough year for sensors and diagnostics. Whether tracking diseases in humans, animals or food, we’ll begin to see some of the fascinating early-stage research and prototypes academics and businesses have been working on fundamentally change the way we detect and prevent health issues.
“Luckily for the sector, people are increasingly familiar with sensors – from basic lateral flow tests during the pandemic to smartwatches tracking our sleep quality and fitness regimes. What is really going to change our lives is when people can go to their doctor and instantly get lab-quality hormone testing, pick up early signs of disease and accurately chart their path back to health.
“At health tech conferences around the world, we have spent the past year showcasing Gii – our highly sensitive, low-cost, and sustainable material. It’s a gamechanger for upgrading sensors, replacing materials like gold. From the hundreds of conversations – I predict that while 2025 won’t see the full potential of this technology, it will be the biggest leap forward in years – one that sets the stage for a health tech revolution”.
Sophie Bassil, Healthcare Account Director, The PHA Group
“It’s not new to say healthcare goes beyond medical treatment, but this year we’re seeing a greater spotlight on this, which I expect to only get bigger in 2025.
“Health tech of course has its place within hospital settings, and this innovation will continue. However, if we’re looking at health through the lens of broader social determinants – housing, economic stability, education, and environmental conditions – then the tech sector has a great deal of opportunity to improve health outcomes. Arguably, you can’t even call this a ‘trend’, so fundamental community interventions are to our wellbeing.
“The most promising health tech doesn’t just digitise medical records (although much has been made of “digital patient passports”, as a key part of Streeting’s plans).
“More broadly, the message has been that NHS must make “much more use of technology”, which we could see as a call to arms to the tech sector. Whether that’s AI-driven predictive analytics mapping social determinants of health or developing platforms that support collaborative, community-driven health strategies.
“As an example, I’m looking forward to seeing the update from the Health Foundation’s Tech for Better Care which complete in 2025. Teams are testing ideas around tech’s place in falls care, palliative care and multiple medication management.
“And when it comes to communicating this, storytelling will remain king. What’s the real impact of these solutions and how are they improving lives?”