As members may have noticed, the Fit for the Future: The 10 Year Health Plan for England and the Life Sciences Sector Plan commits the publication of the national VBP standard guidance in early Spring 2026.
To evaluate the draft standard guidance before national rollout, DHSC has invited Trusts and ICBs to take part in the piloting phase running from September to December 2025. Participants will procure MedTech products in line with the draft guidance.
Scope of the pilots
- Type of provider: Trusts and ICBs of all sizes and specialties – this includes acute and emergency providers, district general hospitals, mental health and specialist providers.
- Geography: All seven regions of the NHS in England.
- Products: MedTech which falls under the Medical Device Regulations 2002 broadly grouped into the following categories equipment, digital, consumable and implantable.
DHSC are seeking providers of all sizes and specialties, and from all regions in England to participate in these pilots
Next steps
To allow the pilot phase to commence in September, participating organisations need to have registered their interest and information on the procurement by no later than 22 August.
If you believe there is an opportunity for an NHS Trust, ICB or Procurement Collaborative to pilot DHSC’s draft guidance, please do encourage those NHS organisations to reach out to them. It’s important to note that DHSC are unable to work directly with industry on the pilots.
