Design for Life Roadmap

The Design for Life programme is an initiative of the medical technologies and innovation directorate in DHSC dedicated to delivery of a circular approach to medtech.

Circularity in medtech means designing, procuring and processing medical products in a way that enables them to be reused, remanufactured or recycled, preserving their value for as long as possible. The benefits of a circular economy in the health sector are vast and increasingly well-understood, but are rarely put into practice and are difficult to scale. Unlocking these benefits across the UK health sector will bring many opportunities for innovation and growth, while improving patient care and value for money and supporting the transition to a net zero NHS.

The programme has been developed by a collaborative of more than 80 stakeholders from the UK medtech industry, the health family and academia with wide support across the sector.

This roadmap divides the programme into 6 problem statements which will be addressed by a suite of 30 actions to deliver our 2045 vision below. DHSC will work with the UK health services and other partners to agree action leads and governance mechanisms to underpin delivery, supported by a costed delivery plan.