UK Policy Landscape July 2026
Government policy continues to place increasing emphasis on technical skills, apprenticeships, workforce planning and employer-led education. These developments align closely with IPEM's strategic priorities to strengthen the workforce pipeline for medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists across healthcare, academia and industry. They also present new opportunities to influence education, research, innovation and workforce policy.
Skills, education and technical careers
Government is continuing to invest in technical education, apprenticeships and employer-led training to ensure education better reflects workforce needs.
For IPEM members, this creates opportunities to:
- strengthen career pathways for medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists.
- expand apprenticeships and technical education.
- improve collaboration between healthcare providers, universities and industry.
- attract more people into healthcare science careers.
Strengthening the future workforce
National workforce shortages across engineering, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing highlight the growing demand for highly skilled technical professionals. These challenges closely mirror those facing healthcare science.
Government reforms supporting apprenticeships, flexible training pathways and employer-led skills development reinforce the need to invest in recruitment, education and career progression across our professions.
For IPEM members, this means continued opportunities to shape workforce planning, develop new education and training routes, and ensure healthcare providers, universities and industry have access to the skilled professionals needed to deliver world-leading healthcare, research and innovation.
Supporting research and innovation
A highly skilled scientific workforce underpins innovation across healthcare, academia and industry. Investment in technical skills and employer-led education will help strengthen research capability, accelerate the translation of new technologies into clinical practice and support the continued growth of the UK's healthcare technology sector.
IPEM will continue to champion the contribution of medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists in driving innovation, improving patient outcomes and supporting economic growth through science and engineering.
Inspiring the next generation
Updated careers guidance reinforces the importance of employer engagement in helping young people understand technical careers and the opportunities available to them.
Every IPEM member has a role to play by:
supporting schools, colleges and universities;
offering work experience placements;
promoting careers in healthcare science; and
inspiring the next generation of medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists.
Increasing awareness of our professions remains one of the most effective ways to strengthen the workforce pipeline across healthcare, research and industry and ensure we continue to attract talented people from diverse backgrounds.
Building a more diverse profession
Government continues to prioritise widening participation in STEM. This aligns closely with IPEM's commitment to developing a more diverse, inclusive and representative healthcare science workforce.
A broader and more diverse talent pipeline will strengthen our professions, improve innovation and help ensure healthcare science reflects the communities it serves.
Looking ahead
The Government's continued focus on technical skills, apprenticeships and workforce planning presents an important opportunity for IPEM to influence education and skills policy while strengthening the future healthcare science workforce.
Working with government, the NHS, universities, industry partners and education providers, IPEM will continue to champion sustainable education and training pathways, support research and innovation, and ensure medical physicists, clinical engineers and clinical technologists are recognised as essential professions at the heart of modern healthcare.
Further information
For members who would like to explore these developments in more detail:
Skills, education and careers
Degree choice and earnings
Funding for businesses supporting youth employment
New Deal for Young People
Pathways to Priority Occupations
Careers Guidance for Young People
Workforce and apprenticeships
Skills England workforce analysis
Accelerated engineering apprenticeships
Diversity in STEM
Engineering UK analysis on women in STEM