King’s Speech 2026: Key bills for BHTA members to be aware of

The UK Government has published the King’s Speech 2026, setting out its proposed legislative programme for the next parliamentary session.

Several proposed bills could affect BHTA members, including measures on NHS reform, patient data, cyber security, late payments, competition, and steel supply chains.

One of the most significant announcements for the healthcare sector is the NHS Modernisation Bill, which will abolish NHS England by transferring its functions into the Department of Health and Social Care or the wider system. The bill will also enable a Single Patient Record, allowing people to view their health and social care records securely on the NHS App. This may be relevant to members working in digital health, data, interoperability, or services that may link to the NHS App in future. Members can read the BHTA’s position on the abolition of NHS England for further context.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill would require organisations providing essential services to report more harmful cyber incidents to their regulator and the National Cyber Security Centre within 24 hours, followed by a full report within 72 hours. It would also introduce tougher enforcement, including turnover-based penalties for serious breaches.

The National Security Bill would update the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and create a Cyber Crime Risk Order. This may affect how cyber risks are investigated, prevented, and managed across digital systems and services.

For businesses, the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill would introduce measures to tackle late payments between businesses. These include maximum payment terms of 60 days, mandatory interest on late payments at eight percent above the Bank of England base rate, and new powers for the Small Business Commissioner to investigate poor payment practices, adjudicate disputes, and fine businesses that fail to comply.

The Competition Reform Bill could affect members where competition enforcement, market reviews, or merger activity shape healthcare and assistive technology markets. It would give the CMA Board a role in decisions on mergers and market investigations, aiming to make decision-making more consistent, predictable, and accountable.

The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill provides a route for the government to nationalise steel companies or their operations, provided the public interest test in the legislation is met. The announcement follows wider government measures on steel, including changes due to come into effect from 1 July 2026 that will reduce tariff-free import quotas and introduce a 50 percent tariff on steel imports above these limits. This is relevant to members that manufacture with raw steel or rely on steel as a significant input cost, as the changes could affect costs, availability, procurement decisions, and manufacturing strategies.

The BHTA will continue to monitor the proposed legislation and assess the implications for members as the bills progress through Parliament.

The BHTA is hosting a free webinar at 2pm on 21 May 2026 to examine the current policy and political landscape. It will cover the key announcements from the King’s Speech 2026 and the outcome of the May elections, with a focus on what these developments mean for BHTA members.

Register for the free webinar here.