The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) has announced the appointment of Kenan Poleo as Director, effective from May 2026.

Kenan succeeds Roz Campion and will lead the cross-government delivery of the UK’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, which forms part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. The role also includes responsibility for innovation priorities linked to the 10 Year Health Plan.

Reporting jointly into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Director works closely with OLS Executive Chair Steve Bates OBE to support the Government’s ambition for the UK to become the world’s third most important life sciences economy by 2035.

Kenan brings extensive experience from across government, healthcare, and international trade. Most recently, Kenan served as Consul General and Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Prior to this, Kenan held senior trade and innovation roles including Her Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Europe and Head of Global at Innovate UK.

Kenan’s earlier career included a range of senior UK Government positions focused on manufacturing strategy, energy, and environmental legislation, and the chemicals industry. Before entering government service, Kenan worked within the NHS, commissioning services related to sexual health, HIV/AIDS, refugee and homelessness health, and support for Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

BHTA members may wish to note the appointment given the Office for Life Sciences’ ongoing role in shaping healthcare innovation, regulation, and industry collaboration across the UK.

Members wishing to contact the Office for Life Sciences can do so via: Director.OLS@officeforlifesciences.gov.uk

The Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on Fair Pay Agreements in Adult Social Care sought views on the proposed Adult Social Care Negotiating Body (ASCNB), which would bring together employer and worker representatives to negotiate pay, terms and conditions across the adult social care sector.

The BHTA actively encouraged members to engage with the consultation, ensuring the views of healthcare suppliers and community equipment service providers were represented. Member feedback informed the Association’s response, which highlighted the need for greater clarity on which roles would fall within the scope of the proposed framework, particularly within community equipment services, as well as the importance of practical guidance and support to help employers implement any future changes.

Download the relevant documents:

Click HERE to download the consultation document.

Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.

At ‘The Future of MedTech – Innovating for Tomorrow’ conference, Josh Crosley, Co-Lead of the Design for Life programme at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), delivered the third part of a compelling talk titled ‘Building a Sustainable Future through Responsible Procurement’.

The session recapped the Design for Life programme and the opportunities this presents for the medtech sector.

Held on 13 May 2025 at The Mercure in Northampton and jointly hosted by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and AXREM, the first two parts of the conference talk were delivered by Chris Taylor from Philips Health Systems and Alexandra Hammond from NHS England.

What is Design for Life?

Design for Life is a flagship DHSC programme aiming to create a circular economy for medical products. Rather than the traditional linear model – take, make, dispose – the initiative focuses on reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling medtech devices to keep them in circulation for as long as possible. Importantly, its scope includes a wide range of medtech products used in patient care, from PPE to surgical equipment.

Born out of the supply chain shocks caused by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, the programme’s core goal is to increase resilience within the NHS. By reducing dependence on single-use products and extending the lifecycle of products, Design for Life helps ensure continuity of care, even under strain.

Aligned objectives: sustainability, cost, and growth

Josh highlighted how the programme’s goals are interlinked. Reusable and remanufactured products not only deliver carbon savings of up to 56 percent but also provide significant cost reductions. Many NHS pilots have already demonstrated both financial and quality benefits. For industry, this shift opens up new opportunities in services like remanufacturing, sterile processing, and materials recovery – areas with real potential for economic growth.

The government’s wider commitment to a circular economy underpins the programme, aligning with DEFRA’s national strategy.

Case study: Reusable patient warming devices at Northampton General Hospital

One standout example from recent Design for Life pilots was at Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, which trialled a reusable patient warming device, typically used before and after surgery to prevent hypothermia. Previously, the trust disposed of around 4,000 single-use warming blankets annually at a cost of £28,000.

By switching to a reusable alternative, the trust saved £10,000 each year and reduced emissions by nearly two tonnes of CO₂. Beyond cost and carbon, the reusable product delivered quieter operating theatres and improved patient safety, thanks to a design that eliminated the need for glue to attach the blanket to the patient.

However, adoption was not without its challenges. Shifting to reusable systems required changes in decontamination protocols, staff training, and logistics – highlighting the importance of investment in infrastructure and behaviour change.

Tackling barriers to adoption

Josh outlined the programme’s roadmap for overcoming such barriers. These include:

• Leadership and alignment: Establishing national KPIs and embedding circular goals into NHS quality frameworks to ensure consistency and clear direction.
• Behavioural change: Launching adoption working groups and developing practical materials like playbooks and guidance to support trusts.
• Commercial incentives: The NHS is moving towards a value-based procurement model that considers long-term value, not just upfront costs. Draft frameworks are being shadow tested, with live pilots planned for later this year.
• Infrastructure: A nationwide survey is underway to assess NHS decontamination capacity, with the aim of expanding support for reusable systems. In parallel, digital tracking solutions are being explored through partnerships like the DECHI programme.

What this means for industry

For BHTA members, the Design for Life programme presents a clear signal: the NHS is serious about sustainable procurement, and the system is evolving to support circular solutions. From value-based procurement to new service opportunities, the shift opens commercial pathways for companies ready to innovate.

Josh closed by urging medtech suppliers to engage early, collaborate with NHS partners, and align their products and services with circular principles.

This consultation sought views on proposed regulations and guidance to strengthen action against modern slavery in NHS procurement. Building on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Health and Care Act 2022, the proposals introduced new legal duties for public bodies procuring goods and services for the NHS to assess and address risks of modern slavery in their supply chains.

For BHTA members, the proposals highlighted increased expectations around supply chain due diligence, transparency and compliance, particularly for suppliers working with NHS organisations. The measures aimed to ensure that NHS procurement activities are free from unethical labour practices, while aligning with wider government policy on tackling modern slavery.

The consultation also outlined how these duties would be supported by national guidance and applied across public sector procurement in England. The BHTA encouraged members to consider the potential operational and reporting implications for their organisations.

Download the relevant documents:

Click HERE to download the consultation document.

Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.

This consultation sought views on the potential introduction of new secondary legislation requiring manufacturers and suppliers of medicines, medical devices and borderline products to report payments and other benefits provided to healthcare professionals and organisations.

For BHTA members, the proposals signalled a significant shift towards increased transparency obligations across the health sector, with potential implications for reporting requirements, administrative burden and commercial relationships. The measures aimed to address concerns around real and perceived conflicts of interest, as highlighted in the IMMDS review, and to strengthen patient trust and confidence in clinical decision-making.

The consultation also considered how transparency could be improved while minimising impact on industry. The BHTA encouraged members to review the proposals and consider the potential operational and compliance implications for their organisations.

Download the relevant documents:

Click HERE to download the consultation document.

Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.

This consultation sought views on how professions are brought into, or removed from, statutory regulation of health and social care professionals across the UK. The aim of regulation is to protect the public from harm, ensuring that any regulatory approach is proportionate and effective.

The government proposed additional powers under the Health and Care Bill to enable greater flexibility, including the ability to remove professions from regulation, close regulators, delegate functions more freely, and extend regulation to new groups such as senior NHS leaders. The consultation explored the criteria that should be used to assess whether professions should be regulated in the future.

At the time, there were no plans to significantly change the current balance of regulated professions, which was considered appropriate for managing risk without placing unnecessary burdens on the workforce. The consultation formed part of a wider programme of regulatory reform aimed at simplifying the system, improving consistency, and strengthening public protection, including a review into whether the number of professional regulators could be reduced to improve efficiency.

Download the relevant documents:

Click HERE to download the consultation document.

Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s supplementary consultation on the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) sought views on proposals to replace existing healthcare procurement rules with a more flexible framework focused on collaboration, integration and patient outcomes. The proposed regime would govern how NHS bodies, integrated care boards, local authorities and NHS trusts arrange healthcare services, reducing reliance on competitive tendering while maintaining transparency, proportionality and accountability in provider selection decisions.

In its response, the BHTA broadly supported the objectives of the Provider Selection Regime, particularly efforts to improve clarity, reduce unnecessary procurement burdens and support integrated care delivery. The Association highlighted the importance of clear definitions and reference points, including the use of Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes to define service scope, and advocated for the inclusion of services such as wheelchair, community equipment and continence provision. The response also raised concerns about proposed thresholds for contract changes potentially disadvantaging SMEs and innovative providers, while emphasising the need for fair market access, transparency and continued opportunities for specialist healthcare suppliers.

Download the relevant documentation:

Click HERE to download the consultation – document 1

Click HERE to download the consultation – document 2

Click HERE to download the consultation – document 3

Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.