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 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has published a new tender opportunity for the supply of orthotic products and associated services. This opportunity may be of interest to BHTA members supplying orthotic products, medical consumables, and related services to the NHS.

Tender overview

This tender opportunity relates to the supply of orthotic products and associated services for The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The contract reference is C410670 and the estimated total value is £108,774 excluding VAT (£130,528.80 including VAT). The contract is expected to run for three years, from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2029.

Procedure and award criteria

The opportunity is being run as a below-threshold open competition under the Procurement Act 2023. Awards will be made on the basis of best value for money.

To participate, suppliers are required to complete the relevant RFQ documentation as part of their submission.

Submission details

The deadline for tender submissions is 12pm on 14 January 2026.

Tenders must be submitted electronically via the Atamis portal.

Members should ensure they allow sufficient time to access the documentation and submit all required information ahead of the deadline.

The Scottish Government has set an ambitious target for the nation’s life sciences sector — to achieve £25 billion in turnover by 2035. Its newly published ‘Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland: 2035 Vision’ outlines a roadmap for growth built on collaboration, innovation, and sustainable manufacturing.

For BHTA members operating in the life sciences and medical technology sectors, this strategy highlights several areas of direct relevance — from health technology development, to advanced manufacturing, and closer NHS collaboration.

Launching the strategy, Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Our ambition is to make Scotland’s life sciences industry the best in the world. With a highly skilled workforce, world-class research base, and an already thriving ecosystem, this strategy provides the framework to deliver sustainable economic growth while improving health outcomes.”

A growing and diverse life sciences landscape

The Scottish Government defines the life sciences sector broadly, covering human, animal, microbial, and plant sciences. Many of these areas overlap directly with the expertise of BHTA members involved in medical devices, digital health, assistive technologies, and healthcare manufacturing.

Key growth areas highlighted in the strategy include:

• HealthTech – covering the design and manufacture of medical devices, diagnostic tools, digital health solutions, and software. Examples include imaging systems, AI-driven diagnostics, wearable monitoring devices, and patient care technologies.
• Advanced Manufacturing – embedding sustainable and digital production methods across life sciences, supported by innovation centres such as the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre, and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
• Digital, Data, & AI – the creation of AI Scotland, a new national body to coordinate artificial intelligence initiatives and accelerate innovation in health and MedTech, including an SME adoption programme.
• Industrial Biotechnology – sustainable materials and processes with applications in wound care, implants, and drug delivery systems, aligning with Scotland’s wider net-zero ambitions.

These sub-sectors form a strong foundation for Scotland’s “Northern Star” network of life sciences clusters, spanning centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen, with innovation hubs across the Highlands and Islands. Each region contributes to a nationwide ecosystem supporting manufacturing, digital health, and R&D collaboration.

Opportunities for collaboration and innovation

For BHTA members — especially medical device manufacturers and healthcare technology providers — several initiatives within the strategy are particularly relevant:

• Regional Innovation Hubs – Three NHS-led hubs will support Scottish SMEs in testing, validating, and scaling innovative technologies aligned with NHS priorities. This could streamline pathways for BHTA members to bring products into clinical use.
• Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway – A mechanism to assess and adopt transformative medical technologies at scale across NHS Scotland, offering a faster route to market for approved innovations.
• Cluster Development Organisation – A new industry-led body will coordinate Scotland’s life sciences network, fostering collaboration between academia, businesses, and government.
• Infrastructure and Lab Space Expansion – Planned investment will address capacity constraints for start-ups and manufacturers by developing new laboratory, and production facilities across key Scottish regions.

These initiatives collectively aim to strengthen the connection between innovation, regulation, and adoption — helping manufacturers translate new ideas into accessible products that improve patient outcomes.

Additional areas of relevance to BHTA members

The strategy also places a strong focus on areas that align closely with the priorities of BHTA members:

• Integration with the NHS – Through initiatives like Scotland Innovates and the ANIA Pathway, companies will have more structured routes to engage with the NHS. This is particularly relevant for BHTA members developing devices, assistive technologies, or digital solutions that can improve patient care.
• Sustainability in manufacturing – With Scotland targeting net zero by 2045, the strategy encourages greener production methods, and sustainable design principles. Many BHTA members, particularly those in assistive technologies and mobility equipment, are already advancing this agenda through product innovation and resource efficiency.
• Skills and workforce development – Updated apprenticeship frameworks and partnerships between education and industry will help build the next generation of skilled workers in medical technology and healthcare manufacturing. This focus supports the long-term growth of BHTA member companies.
• Digital health and data use – The establishment of Research Data Scotland and AI Scotland provides new opportunities for members working with digital health solutions, or AI-based devices, to leverage health data ethically and effectively for innovation.

By combining these elements, the strategy sets the stage for a more connected, data-driven, and sustainable life sciences sector — one in which medical device and technology manufacturers play a vital role in driving innovation and improving health outcomes across Scotland.

At the recent joint British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and AXREM conference, David Lawson, Director of Medical Technology and Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), set out the evolving landscape for medical technology.

‘The Future of MedTech – Innovating for Tomorrow’ conference was held on 13 May 2025 at The Mercure, Northampton.

David’s presentation was the final part of a compelling conference talk titled ‘Big Picture: What is the Future Policy Landscape for Medtech?’. The previous speaker, Nata Zaman, discussed NHS England’s New Hospital Programme and what that means for medtech.

David reflected on the MedTech Strategy alongside and some of the upcoming and ongoing DHSC initiatives that are crucial to medtech businesses across the UK.

The MedTech Strategy: Still central to policy

Despite the frequent changes in ministers and departmental structures over the past few years, the original challenges identified in the MedTech Strategy remain highly relevant: supply resilience, innovation adoption, data infrastructure, and markets.

With the NHS under significant pressure and few easy options to increase funding or expand the workforce, medtech is increasingly seen as a key lever for transformation. Innovation adoption is not just a priority for healthcare delivery; it’s also vital to the success of the broader Industrial Strategy, where life sciences remains one of the UK’s “crown jewels”.

Technology as a solution to transform healthcare will also likely be flagged in the upcoming 10-year health plan, David noted.  

Value-based procurement: Creating consistency

David highlighted the importance of value-based procurement as a mechanism to support consistent decision-making and better uptake of technology. He acknowledged the lack of standardisation currently affecting procurement: “We don’t today have any standard of how medical technology should be assessed… so we shouldn’t be surprised when we see huge variation”.

To address this, the DHSC has been co-developing a simplified methodology – described as a “ladybird guide to procurement” – that incorporates a 40/60 weighting in favour of quality over price. It includes domain-based question banks for local teams to select from, offering clarity for both buyers and suppliers. Shadow testing is already underway with eight procurement teams, and a national launch is planned for January 2026.

The new MedTech Compass: Improving visibility for SMEs

A major development currently in progress is the DHSC MedTech Compass, which is described as “a single source of information where there’s visibility of products within categories and information on the various attributes of those products”.

David acknowledged the challenges SMEs face in getting products in front of decision-makers across the country: “People may not be aware that actually you have a product because SMEs don’t have the resource to be able to go around the whole country to make everyone aware.”

The Compass aims to not only showcase available technologies but also introduce a ‘passporting’ function to reduce repetitive data submissions about the same technologies to NHS trusts. Having completed its discovery phase, the project is now entering its alpha design stage this summer, with beta testing expected in 2026.

PIM: Strengthening health data quality

Crucial to both the Compass and the wider ambition for smarter regulation and procurement is a Product Information Management (PIM) system. As David noted: “We don’t have a single version of truth in terms of medical devices.” Poor data quality is hampering post-market surveillance regulatory requirements and innovation uptake.

The PIM is now entering its beta build phase. A private beta involving industry and health partners will follow shortly, ahead of a full public launch in January 2026. David stressed that the PIM will underpin future initiatives, including a more “risk-proportionate” regulatory approach from MHRA.

Part IX Drug Tariff Reform

On the topic of the Part IX Drug Tariff, David acknowledged its complexity: “I describe Part IX like an onion. You peel a layer, and then suddenly another layer appears”. After extensive work to modernise categories and introduce logical groupings, a new scoring framework will be implemented this month.

A new temporary listing process will allow products with emerging evidence to be included on the tariff while further data is collected. David also flagged future work on local formularies, noting the lack of national guidance and the inconsistent practices this leads to: “There are certain parts of the country that [suppliers] don’t bother engaging with because of the approach that they take”.

A forthcoming report from National Voices, drawing on input from over 650 patients, will help ensure future categorisation and procurement processes better reflect patient priorities and lived experiences.