The NHS Confederation and the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) have today published a new report
to help the NHS and life sciences industry work more closely
together.
The report recognises that the potential benefits of
collaboration are significant – including better patient
outcomes, a more sustainable NHS, and a boost to the economy.
It also recognises the barriers which need to be addressed – such
as leadership and culture, capacity and resource, and variable
levels of trust between industry and the NHS.
The publication is the first stage of a new drive to overcome
such barriers, which will see a series of meetings between NHS
and industry regional leads over the next few months.
A key aim is for people in the NHS and industry to feel they have
permission and encouragement to work with each other from the
highest levels of the NHS. Further practical tools to help, for
example on governance, are being developed.
The guide contains case studies which demonstrate what can be
achieved from successful joint projects. These include
the Greater Manchester Pharmaceutical Industry Partnership
which led to an increase in commercial studies, an increase in
clinical trial participation and a new approach in treating
chronic pulmonary disease patients.
Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation
said:
“The future lies in collaboration – without it, neither the NHS
nor industry will fulfil their potential. As this report shows,
there are many examples of good practice that demonstrate that
each can benefit from using the skills and experience of the
other, and more importantly, patients benefit.
“But the message here is that we can do more and do it at scale.
Collaboration with industry and research is mission critical, and
there remains a danger that it is seen as a ‘nice to have’,
rather than a ‘must do.’"
Mike Thompson, Chief Executive of the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry said:
“We’ve been very honest in this report about the barriers
industry and the NHS have come up against when trying to work
together.
“We are investing resource to address these challenges because
the benefits of partnership are so compelling – a ‘triple win’ of
improved patient outcomes, more efficient use of NHS resources
and evidence of impact for industry.
“I am a passionate advocate of NHS-industry collaboration. Our
2017 industry agreement with Greater Manchester led to more than
a dozen new cross-sector partnerships and rapid work to address
major health challenges like COPD. We want to deliver the same
benefits across the country to help improve population
health.”
The report is published here.
Previous ABPI comment on the Greater Manchester Industry
Partnership is here.
