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Topic : News and Press Type : Report

HealthTech is a vital part of Scotland’s health and economy, supporting NHS Scotland with technologies that improve diagnosis, enhance patient care and drive system-wide efficiency. Scotland is home to more than 250 HealthTech companies and 9,000 employees, alongside world-leading universities and a highly innovative healthcare ecosystem.

As NHS Scotland embarks on a period of major transformation, guided by the Population Health Framework, the Service Renewal Framework and the Operational Improvement Plan, HealthTech has a critical role to play in turning ambition into reality. However, persistent barriers around data access, procurement, adoption and export growth continue to limit Scotland’s ability to fully benefit from innovation 

To unlock the sector’s full potential, ABHI’s Manifesto sets out four recommendations to strengthen Scotland’s health system and support a globally competitive HealthTech industry:

1. Unlock Federated Access to Health Data

Enable rapid, secure and high-quality access to validated health datasets to accelerate research, innovation and improved patient outcomes. Current fragmentation forces many Scottish companies to source data abroad, slowing progress and reducing competitiveness.

2. Extend Savings Targets from One to Five Years

Procurement decisions often prioritise short-term cost savings, making it difficult for Health Boards to invest in technologies that deliver long-term value. A multi-year financial model would better capture benefits such as reduced readmissions, improved productivity and system-wide efficiencies.

3. Introduce a 'Once for Scotland' Innovation Pathway

Adoption is slowed by repeated, board-by-board business cases. A single national pathway, including dedicated consideration for iterative (not just transformational) innovations, would accelerate access to proven technologies across the country.

4. Enhance Export Support for Scottish SMEs

Scotland’s HealthTech companies face high barriers to entering global markets. Targeted export support, building on initiatives like the ABHI Accelerators and partnerships with Scottish Enterprise, would help innovative SMEs scale internationally and compete effectively on the world stage.

You can access the manifesto below.

For any ABHI members looking to get involved in the work of ABHI Scotland, please write to us: enquiries@abhi.org.uk