The UK’s world-leading medical research is not yet delivering better health outcomes for enough patients, a new report has warned.
The UK’s life sciences industry generated £146.9bn in turnover in 2023/24, but healthy life expectancy has fallen to its lowest recorded level.
The warning centres on the doctors and experts needed to turn university discoveries into NHS care.
The Academy of Medical Sciences said the workforce linking university research with patient treatment is “ageing and shrinking”.
These specialists are often known as clinical academics, meaning clinicians who also carry out research and help turn scientific findings into everyday care.
Professor Sir Andrew Morris, president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “The UK has a remarkable foundation in medical science.
“Our research is among the best in the world, and our life sciences industry is growing strongly.
“However, this excellence is not yet delivering better health outcomes for enough people, and too much potential goes unrealised between discovery and patient benefit.
“If medical science is going to deliver both healthier lives and a stronger economy, we need to measure how the whole system is performing and act on what the evidence shows.
“This first assessment is a step towards doing this, year on year.”
The report, Measuring what matters 2026: an annual assessment of UK medical science, analysed health service and Office for National Statistics data over a seven-year period.
It found that the UK life sciences industry generated £146.9bn in turnover in 2023/24 and employed almost 360,000 people.
However, healthy life expectancy, meaning the number of years people can expect to live in good health, had fallen to its lowest recorded level.
The report also highlighted persistent health inequalities and a continued rise in economic inactivity linked to ill health.
The Academy of Medical Sciences aims to publish the report annually to track progress over time.
Rosalind Campion, chief executive of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “The data tells us where UK medical science is strong and where it is under strain.
“The clinical academic workforce is one example, the doctors and researchers who bridge NHS patient care and university research are ageing and shrinking, even as we need them most.
“We want to work with government, the NHS, universities, charities and industry to build a shared and honest picture of how the system is performing so that investment and effort go where they can do the most good.
“Better measurement is how we turn good intentions into better outcomes for patients and for the economy.”
