The UK's Autumn budget - Comments from Industry Leaders

The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) welcomes key measures in today’s Autumn Budget that support the growth of life science and biotech scale-ups, while flagging concerns over rising costs for laboratory space.

Commenting on the Chancellor's Autumn Budget 2025, Jane Wall, Managing Director of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), said:

"BIA has long argued that outdated limits on venture investment tax incentives and employee share options are holding back the scale-up of life science companies, so we are delighted that the Chancellor has chosen to extend these today. Ahead of the Budget, the CEOs of 200 of our member companies wrote to the Chancellor calling for these changes, so we are pleased to see that noted and delivered. 

Under tough economic circumstances, this Budget has prioritised tax and spending decisions in areas where the UK can win. Backing scale-ups in life sciences, biotech and AI will drive economic growth and deliver innovative new products that will improve both health outcomes and global sustainability.

However, we are very concerned about increases to business rates on expensive workspaces. Life science companies will be unfairly and disproportionately affected, given the need for expensive laboratory facilities alongside office space. 

The Chancellor and this government have consistently highlighted life sciences and biotech as a key economic opportunity for the UK. However, domestic and global headwinds continue to create significant challenges and uncertainty for the sector. At times like this, governments need to lead by investing in and demonstrating confidence in national champion sectors, rather than raising their operating costs."

Mark Hitchman, Managing Director at Canon Medical Systems UK:

Today’s Autumn Budget confirmed £300 million in new capital funding for NHS technology – a welcome step. Alongside plans for 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres (NHCs), with over 100 to be delivered by 2030. This signals real intent to expand care closer to home.

To make it count, we must invest where it matters most: Training. People. Diagnostics.

The NHS 10-Year Plan rightly focuses on early detection and care in the community. NHCs can be central to that vision, but only if they’re equipped with the technology and workforce to deliver it.

We’re already seeing what’s possible:

• Waiting lists have been cut by over 200,000 – the biggest reduction in more than 15 years – with 5.2 million extra appointments and 135,000 more cancer diagnoses within the 28-day target.
• Productivity in hospital care such as A&E and surgery is up 2.4% this year. Hitting 2% productivity growth could unlock £17 billion in savings over the next three years to reinvest in patient care in England.

Diagnostics are a critical enabler of that productivity. Around 80% of patient pathways rely on diagnostics, yet diagnostic imaging teams are under pressure. Demand keeps rising, but staffing hasn’t kept pace – driving delays, missed diagnoses, and pressure across the whole system.

Technology can help change that. Smarter imaging tools and AI-supported reporting can boost capacity, reduce backlogs, and free up clinical time. And when diagnostics are embedded locally – as we’ve seen with Community Diagnostic Centres – patients are seen sooner, and outcomes improve.

But none of this works without people.

If we’re serious about building a more sustainable NHS, we need to move from crisis response to early action. That means investing where it counts: in skills, in teams, and in diagnostics that deliver real, long-term impact for patients and staff.

Dr Vibhor Gupta, Founder & CEO of healthtech company Pangaea Data: 

Today’s Budget with £300m allocated to technology in the NHS strengthens the emerging AI innovation ecosystem, but what really matters is ensuring this ambition translates into tangible impact for the NHS and the millions of patients who rely on it.

“For the UK to improve patient outcomes, reduce waiting lists and boost productivity, the Budget must enable the NHS to become a confident customer of innovation. Supporting home-grown AI companies is not only good for patient care; it fuels economic growth, creates high-value jobs and strengthens the emerging AI ecosystem that the Government has rightly prioritised. A future-proof, data-driven NHS is within reach, and it will be central to both the nation’s health and the UK’s long-term economic competitiveness.”

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

"NHS leaders across the UK understand the pressure on public finances and that's why they are reforming local services to deliver higher quality and more efficient care.

"To go further, they need more capital investment to create new facilities and fix the NHS' crumbling estate. That's why the decision the Chancellor has made in the Budget to allow private capital to be used to build new neighbourhood health centres in the English NHS is so important. Using private capital to build new facilities not only increases overall investment in the NHS but frees up public funding to tackle the £16 billion estates maintenance backlog.

"This is a first step to bringing vital investment into an NHS that has been starved of capital funding for more than a decade. NHS leaders will hope further private capital can be leveraged to create new and upgraded facilities in hospitals and mental health services.

"Much of the UK government rhetoric today is focused on how the Budget is prioritising the NHS over other areas. NHS leaders don't take this for granted, but the reality is that the NHS budget in England is under significant pressure from rising demand for care, ongoing strike action and the threat of higher drug prices as highlighted by the Office for Budget Responsibility. In particular, local services cannot continue to absorb the costs of ongoing strike action by the BMA without consequences to patient care."