The UK government has launched a new NHS ‘innovator passport’ in a bid to accelerate access to new technology across different NHS organisations and boards.

The new passport will be introduced over the next two years, and will allow new technology that has been robustly assessed by one NHS organisation to be easily rolled out to others.

With the innovator passport, organisations will be able to join up with the NHS more quickly to push through tested technology across different NHS boards.

The passport converts the NHS system into a ‘one-stop-shop’ – as a thorough check from the NHS will now allow businesses to get to work as quickly as possible and deliver on what matters most to patients across the country.

The UK government says that this will mean more effective treatments and faster support for NHS patients as the NHS will make the most of its finite assessment resource, all while businesses are given a boost through the government’s industrial strategy.

Treatments including special wound dressings—already reducing surgical site infections by 38% at Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals—could be adopted more widely, benefiting patients across the country.

The new passport will eliminate multiple compliance assessments, reducing duplication across the health service. It will be delivered through MedTech Compass, a digital platform developed by DHSC to make effective technologies more visible and widely available.

“For too long, Britain’s leading scientific minds have been held back by needless admin that means suppliers are repeatedly asked for the same data in different formats by different trusts – this is bad for the NHS, patients and bad for business,” Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said.

“These innovator passports will save time and reduce duplication, meaning our life sciences sector – a central part of our 10 Year Health Plan – can work hand in hand with the health service and make Britain a powerhouse for medical technology.

“Frustrated patients will no longer have to face a postcode lottery for lifesaving products to be introduced in their area and companies will be able to get their technology used across the NHS more easily, creating a health service fit for future under the Plan for Change.”

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It also forms an important element of the industrial strategy through the upcoming Life Sciences Sector Plan, which will turbocharge Britain’s life sciences sector and cement the UK’s position as a global innovation leader.

MedTech Compass helps speed up decision-making in trusts, allowing technology to scale faster – making it easier for trusts across the country to find, assess, and adopt proven technologies that improve and speed up patient care.

The passports mean that once a healthcare tool has been assessed by one NHS organisation, further NHS organisations will not be able to insist on repeated assessments.

The digital system will act as a dynamic best buyer’s guide, making it easier for trusts to compare products side-by-side in one place.