The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have opened a new aligned pathway designed to bring new medicines to NHS patients faster, with decisions on licensing and value published at the same time. NICE says the process, which began on 1 April 2026, is intended to reduce delays and give companies greater certainty when planning for market access in the UK. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blogs/mhra-nice-pathway-opens-for-business-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started?utm_source=openai))
Parallel decisions aimed at cutting waiting times
Under the new approach, NICE’s assessment work runs alongside the MHRA’s licensing process rather than following it later, allowing the two bodies to move in step on medicines that are likely to be suitable for NHS use. NICE says the change could help patients receive new treatments 3 to 6 months sooner. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blogs/mhra-nice-pathway-opens-for-business-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started?utm_source=openai))
The organisations say the aligned pathway is part of wider commitments in the UK government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England and Life Sciences Sector Plan, both of which aim to get medicines to patients sooner and improve the operating environment for the life sciences sector. NICE also says an improved Integrated Scientific Advice service has launched alongside the pathway. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blogs/mhra-nice-pathway-opens-for-business-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started?utm_source=openai))
What the change could mean for the NHS
For the NHS, the new process is expected to make access decisions clearer and faster for medicines that pass regulatory scrutiny. NICE says the arrangement supports more efficient publication of licensing and value decisions, while industry may benefit from an earlier route to NHS entry and a longer period before VPAG applies. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blogs/mhra-nice-pathway-opens-for-business-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started?utm_source=openai))
The move follows a broader series of changes in NICE policy and medicines access in recent months, including updates to cost-effectiveness thresholds and other reform measures. Together, these steps signal a stronger push to speed up adoption of treatments while maintaining formal evaluation standards. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/changes-to-nice-s-cost-effectiveness-thresholds-confirmed?utm_source=openai))
A closer alignment for future treatment access
The immediate significance of the pathway is practical: fewer handoffs, shorter delays, and a more coordinated route from approval to NHS availability. While the full impact will depend on how the system works in practice, NICE says the goal is clear — to get safe and effective new medicines to patients faster. ([nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/news/blogs/mhra-nice-pathway-opens-for-business-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started?utm_source=openai))
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