· Providing drug discovery companies in the UK with access to NHS datasets could have a transformative impact on the economy and lead to improved patient outcomes according to new research from SCI, the country’s leading innovation accelerator.
· SCI’s Chief Executive, Sharon Todd, has called on government to act urgently to liberalise access to the UK’s Biobank and NHS datasets for companies investing in developing new medicines for the UK.
· Together with a further suite of policy interventions in the life science sector suggested in LEK’s report, could generate additional GVA of £18-21bn a year for the UK economy.
27 MAY 2025, LONDON: The UK could unlock over £10bn pa of economic growth from its life science sector and improve patient outcomes if drug discovery companies were given better access to sovereign healthcare data assets, according to new research by LEK Consulting.
Tapping into existing NHS data could revolutionise healthcare, improve medical treatments, and accelerate economic growth, according to a new report from LEK Consulting, commissioned by SCI, the UK’s leading innovation accelerator. SCI Chief Executive Sharon Todd has called on government to develop a plan to provide better access to the UK Biobank and NHS datasets in light of the findings.
UK Biobank represents the world’s largest set of sequencing data coupled with longitudinal healthcare data. Improving pharmaceutical companies’ ability to harness this data could boost the speed of novel medicines to market, the report says. This access would encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in the UK, driving economic growth and considerably strengthening the UK’s position in life sciences and health innovation.
The NHS has access to one of the most comprehensive healthcare datasets globally, with over 60 million registered patients. Consolidating this data into a single, accessible infrastructure for commercial research, whilst balancing this more streamlined access with the appropriate security, privacy and ethical checks on access could add more than £10bn GVA a year to the UK economy and deliver novel medicines more quickly to patients.
The ‘Amplifying Growth in the UK Life Sciences Sector’ report is the second installment in a series of research by SCI and LEK, into the UK’s life science sector. Part one of the research, published in March, found that the UK has failed to keep up with international competitors in an increasingly competitive global environment. As a result, the UK is losing an estimated £15 billion a year as life science businesses look elsewhere to invest and scale up.
SCI has argued that a lack of a long-term industrial strategy over recent decades has harmed the sector’s ability to translate its considerable research potential into economic reality. The work sets out concrete actions government should take to restore the sector’s competitiveness, amounting to an £18-21 billion annual boost in GVA for the UK economy.
Other recommendations in the report include:
· Developing a data strategy that focuses on delivering UK economic and healthcare value creation.
· Addressing the uncompetitive VPAG ‘hidden tax’.
· Reviewing the mechanisms whereby NICE evaluates the cost of novel drugs (QALY) to ensure a better balance of cost and quicker patient access to novel medicines.
· Delivering greater funding and scale-up capital for SMEs by driving through the planned Mansion House pension reforms and encouraging venture capital investment in more R&D intensive sectors.
Commenting on the findings, SCI’s Chief Executive Sharon Todd said:
“Whilst the suggestion has evoked some controversy, opening up UK Biobank and broader NHS datasets for commercial use could be transformational for the UK economy. Clearly appropriate structures and controls would need to be in place and the UK patient population would need to see some clear value delivered to them in terms of quicker access to critical medicines”.
“It is frustrating that a lack of a consistent or strategic approach to industrial strategy in this country over the last decade has left this potential untapped. I would urge the government to act fast to enable business access to these valuable research assets, which would drive the growth and innovation our country urgently needs.”
Greg Clark, former UK Business Secretary and Chair of Board of Trustees at SCI said:
“At SCI, we know first-hand the extent of our country’s considerable potential in life sciences. With world-leading academic institutions and a swathe of start-up potential, the UK has all the ingredients it needs to be a global leader in the sector.
“However, we cannot hope to compete on the international stage without first having the right policies in place. Our research highlights meaningful action that policymakers can take to realise the future of UK life sciences. There is a huge amount that can be done, and we would urge government and policymakers to heed our findings and act as soon as possible to address them."
Read the full LEK report Amplifying Growth in the UK Life Sciences Sector
ENDS
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