To ask His Majesty's Government who has ministerial responsibility for the (1) development, and (2) take up by the NHS, of devices included in the Section 22 Annual Report on research and development work under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Act 1970.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 June 2026 to Questions 1004 to 1007.
As mentioned in those answers, the report Research and development work relating to assistive technology: 2024 to 2025 is updated annually to cover developments in priority setting and funding. The report signposts the public and partners to the full account of research activity.
In the last five available assistive technology reports, covering the financial years 2020/21 to 2024/25, 30 projects were recorded under the primary theme Mobility and Musculoskeletal Health, with a further 15 recorded under that theme as a secondary category. This data has been collated from the published datasets on National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Open Data, with further information available on the NIHR website. The Department does not currently hold central information on how many of these projects have since reached the National Health Service market.
Responsibility for supporting the development of innovative medical devices and assistive technologies sits across the Government. The Department supports research and innovation through organisations such as the NIHR, which helps generate the evidence needed to support the development, evaluation, and future adoption of health technologies.
The uptake of medical devices within the NHS is primarily a matter for NHS England and local NHS organisations, informed by advice from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Department is working with NHS England, regulators, and industry to address barriers to adoption and to support faster access to clinically effective and cost-effective technologies.
Answered on 13 Jul 2026