World-class UK medical research not delivering enough benefits for British people

World-leading medical research in the UK is not yet delivering better health outcomes for enough people in the country, according to a new report.

The number of doctors and experts that bridge the gap between university research and the NHS – translating discoveries into patient care – is "ageing and shrinking", the Academy of Medical Sciences has warned.

Titled Measuring What Matters 2026: An Annual Assessment Of UK Medical Science, its report looked into health service and Office for National Statistics data over a seven-year period.

The UK's life sciences industry generated £146.9bn in turnover in 2023/24 and employed almost 360,000 people, but the report highlighted that healthy life expectancy in the UK had fallen to its lowest recorded level, with inequalities persisting and a continued rise in economic inactivity due to ill health.

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."

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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."

(c) Sky News 2026: World-class UK medical research not delivering enough benefits for British people