Patients across Britain are set to benefit from cutting edge medical tech advances and treatments through £260 million of government funding.

The cash injection will support research and development, as well as the manufacturing of new drugs, devices, and diagnostics.

More than £200 million will be invested to enable research to better access NHS data through Trusted Research Environments and digital clinical trial services, the government said.

This will make data available for research faster and more securely, as well as offering “the highest levels of privacy,” the UK Government said in a statement.

Additionally, funding will ensure that deliverability of new life-saving treatments to patients faster, as well as supporting more diverse and inclusive clinical research to tackle health inequalities and improve patient care.

Commenting on the news, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The past two years have shown just how important our fantastic medical and life sciences industry is for the UK not only in dealing with the pandemic, but also for the vital economic opportunities they create throughout the country.

“By providing £260 million to boost UK medical manufacturing and medical research, we are ensuring the industry has the support it needs to improve patient outcomes and generate high-skilled jobs while building up Britain’s manufacturing base in the process.”

On top of the £200m funding, a further £60m is to be allocated to support commercial-scale manufacturing investments, from cell and gene therapies and earlier and better diagnostic technologies, to medical devices.

The funding for manufacturing investments will be distributed through the new Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF), following the success of the earlier Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund.

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Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid added: “NHS data is making the whole world safer and healthier and has been vital in saving thousands of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This funding will ensure the UK can continue to help researchers access NHS data securely so patients can benefit from more innovative treatments faster.

“I’m absolutely committed to boosting the UK’s position as a world-leading research centre, transforming our health service, and ensuring the NHS continues to deliver excellent care for patients.”

The UK has a strong global presence in the Medical and Life Sciences industries, with a turnover of over £88.9 billion, supporting 268,000 jobs across the country.

As set out in the Life Sciences Vision, the government said it was “committed to harnessing the UK’s existing strengths” to continue to “attract large scale manufacturing and the well-paid job opportunities that come with it”.

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