Draft Medical Devices (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2026

MPs voted on 28 January 2026 to approve the Draft Medical Devices (Fees Amendment) Regulations 2026, passing by 294 ayes to 108 noes. The regulations introduce a new annual fee for medical device companies to fund the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) post-market surveillance activity, replacing an existing per-application charge. They are due to come into force on 1 April 2026. The practical effect is that medical device manufacturers registered in the UK will pay an annual fee from April 2026 to help cover the MHRA's costs of monitoring devices already on the market for safety. In the first year, the fee will be part-subsidised by the Department of Health and Social Care, with the stated intention of moving to full cost recovery in subsequent years. Supporters argue this strengthens patient safety regulation; critics raised concerns about the burden on smaller businesses and questioned whether the MHRA is managing its costs effectively. The vote split along clear party lines. Labour and Labour and Co-operative Party MPs provided the bulk of the ayes, at 260 and 27 respectively. Conservatives voted 91 to zero against, joined by all six voting Reform UK MPs, all five Democratic Unionist Party MPs, and one Traditional Unionist Voice MP. A handful of independents and smaller party MPs voted with the government. There were no notable cross-party rebellions, though two Labour MPs and one Labour and Co-operative MP voted no.