NHS Inward Investment is Critical for Wales’ Health and Economy

Driving new inward investment into the NHS could unlock innovation and drive better patient outcomes, but it requires a rethink of its legal, data and trade frameworks.

The NHS stands at a crossroads. Rising patient demand, workforce shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and constrained financial resources are placing unprecedented pressure on our most treasured institution.

Yet the NHS continues to be recognised internationally as a symbol of excellence and compassion.

This, coupled with an evolving global healthcare landscape, presents opportunities for the UK’s health service to form meaningful partnerships that can improve services, integrate innovation and move from sickness to prevention in line with the government's vision.

Ensuring the NHS has the capacity to grasp these opportunities is the focus of a new white paper published by law firm Browne Jacobson and global healthcare consultancy Healthcare World.

Titled Advancing inward investment into the UK health sector, it explores how strategic inward investment could help bridge resource gaps, stimulate innovation and create new care delivery models across the UK health sector.

For Wales, with its proud tradition of healthcare innovation and growing life sciences sector, this represents a chance to lead the transformation of NHS sustainability while driving economic growth across the principality.

The UK healthcare sector has long been a destination for foreign investment. With the NHS recognised as one of the world's most respected healthcare brands, there is significant opportunity to engage international partners to address systemic issues such as long waiting times, unsuitable infrastructure and an ageing population.

This is particularly relevant for Wales, where rural geography and demographic challenges create unique pressures on service delivery.

The timing couldn't be more critical. In the NHS 10 Year Plan, the government committed to evolve its infrastructure finance models, signalling a welcome shift towards embracing international partnerships.

But as our report makes clear, inward investment must be approached with care and responsibility. It is about more than funding – it is about building collaborations that enhance services, benefit patients and the workforce, and strengthen the NHS to ensure it is fit for the future.

Key recommendations that could transform Welsh healthcare

The report makes eight recommendations – spanning legal, procurement, data, workforce and business development issues – which could help to position the NHS as a premier destination for foreign direct investment. Some of these have particular relevance to Wales.

• Create an NHS investment hub: A dedicated central business development unit within the NHS should be developed to consistently manage trade and investment conversations, and bridge knowledge gaps in international commercial operations, while an “NHS front door” would act as a single, centralised entry point for foreign investors to streamline engagement with the NHS. Given the NHS in Wales is one of the most significant sectors for driving economic output, there is potential for the principality to establish itself as the UK's centre of excellence for healthcare investment facilitation.
• Regulatory innovation: The UK should leverage post-Brexit regulatory freedoms to streamline approval pathways for low-risk and emerging technologies. To achieve this, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) must be adequately funded and empowered to expedite approvals, foster international collaboration and maintain high safety standards. Wales, with its history of regulatory innovation and strong academic partnerships, could lead this transformation.
• Workforce as investment: Perhaps most relevant to Wales is the recommendation to develop a comprehensive healthcare workforce strategy that simplifies qualification recognition, ensures high professional standards and supports cultural integration for international practitioners. Wales has long benefited from international healthcare professionals, and by viewing these practitioners as a form of inward investment, integrating “people as investment” into workforce strategies, the NHS can enhance its capacity and tackle systemic gaps in service delivery.
• The data goldmine: One area where Wales could truly lead is in health data utilisation. The report emphasises the need to align inward investment with a UK health data strategy to unlock the value of NHS data assets and attract global investors. Wales' population-scale datasets, established research infrastructure and strong data governance frameworks position it perfectly to become the UK's exemplar for ethical, innovative health data partnerships.

With bold aspirations and targeted actions, the NHS could transform its capacity and innovation potential – driving better outcomes for patients, empowering healthcare professionals and securing the future of the healthcare system for generations to come.

Wales has the infrastructure, expertise and political will to help make this vision a reality. From the thriving life sciences clusters around Cardiff and Swansea Universities to pioneering digital health initiatives across Welsh health boards, Wales has shown it can punch above its weight in healthcare innovation.

But firstly it’s the UK Government’s responsibility to lay the groundwork. The recommendations in this white paper aren't just theoretical – they provide a practical roadmap for increasing inward investment into the UK healthcare sector in a mutually beneficial way.