Global Scans · Horizon Scanning NHS · Weekly Summary

• [New] Increasing NHS productivity by 2% per year, which will unlock £17 billion of savings in England over three years to be reinvested back into the health service. GOV.UK
• [New] To further support policymakers, the NHS, and social care providers in adapting to the emerging threats of climate change, UKHSA will extend its climate-health monitoring to include data on morbidity and healthcare utilization. GOV.UK
• [New] The U.K. government is reportedly contemplating an increase in pharmaceutical drug spending within the National Health Service, which could significantly impact medication access, pricing policies, and reimbursement frameworks. Savage Health Policy, LLC
• Beyond relieving pressure on existing NHS services, home testing could offer patients greater choice, more convenience, immediate results without waiting for appointments, and reduce the medical stigma around hearing loss. The Conversation
• Developing national NHS England guidance for digital accessibility in mental health could follow precedent set by the Accessible Information Standard, making reasonable adjustments mandatory, clearly defined, and financially accounted for within existing practice-level NHS funding mechanisms. Frontiers
• Digital and cyber leaders across central government, the NHS and local government now face a dual challenge: harness AI to strengthen defences against AI-powered attack, while ensuring that it does not become a tool internally that outpaces their ability to manage risk. UKAuthority
• NHS England is expected to be brought back into the Department of Health within two years, while the cuts to integrated care boards, which plan health services for individual regions, will reduce their headcounts by 50%. BBC News
• Medical information will integrate directly with NHS digital records for faster verification. successfulparentingplan.com
• Demand for healthcare roles is projected to grow steadily, with the NHS planning to recruit over 50,000 additional nurses by 2025. Insider Media Ltd
• The Spending Review includes a £10bn uplift in NHS technology funding, a £500m digitalization programme at HMRC, and further support for the GOV.UK App and Wallet - investments expected to drive adoption of automation tools and AI-powered infrastructure across central government. Robotics and Automation
• The National Health Service in England is committed to reaching net zero for its carbon footprint by 2040, with an 80% reduction of direct emissions by 2032. PMLive
• Plans to launch a new digital NHS trust aimed at bringing down waiting lists and widening access to health services in England face significant safety and security concerns, an expert has warned. Pinsent Masons
• NHS England is to test an AI powered 'one-day diagnostics' service for prostate cancer, saying it could save some men up to a month of waiting. UKAuthority
• The Civil Aviation Authority will set out steps towards launching commercial drone operations which could allow unmanned aerial vehicles to be widely used for tasks from surveying sites for development to delivering blood supplies for the NHS. Yahoo News UK
• Trials show adding darolutamide to standard ADT cuts the risk of death by 46% compared with ADT alone, with evidence suggesting it is as effective as other combination treatments already recommended by Nice and available on the NHS. The Guardian
• At least 6,000 men a year with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer will get access to the novel treatment, also known as Nubeqa and made by Bayer, on the NHS. The Guardian
• Brain cancer patients will not be able to use a new drug that slows or stops tumour growth after it was rejected for NHS use. SKY
• Drug companies want to see the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence raise its cost effectiveness thresholds, which would mean that the NHS could pay higher rates to provide patients with access to expensive new drugs. Chemistry World
• Five years since NHS England published its net zero strategy, it has seen a 14% reduction in emissions from sources it directly controls (68% since 1990), putting it on track to reach its interim target of 80% reduction by 2028-32. UK Health Alliance on Climate Change

Last updated: 03 December 2025