New guidance to boost potential of NHS-industry partnerships in Wales
Today the Welsh NHS Confederation and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) have renewed their partnership to support more effective collaboration between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry.
Launched ahead of flagship conference WelshConfed25, the new joint guidance offers practical tools to help organisations develop, implement, and evaluate partnerships that improve patient outcomes.
Aimed at NHS organisations in Wales, pharmaceutical industry leaders and those leading on partnership and transformation agendas in their organisation or system, the guidance responds to feedback to address barriers such as culture, trust, and operational challenges. It provides step-by-step resources to support partnership planning, contracting, delivery, and measurement, with frameworks suitable for use at all levels.
The aim is to drive improvements to the health and wellbeing of patients by:
- Aligning partnership projects with strategic objectives
- Strengthening assurance and fostering a culture of effective partnership working
- Scaling successful initiatives across care settings
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:
“Cross-sector collaboration has already proven to deliver higher quality care, lower hospital admissions and ensure more appropriate use of medicines. However, there is untapped potential to scale these efforts and drive transformation, with Wales’ integrated health and care system uniquely positioned to achieve this step change. NHS leaders want to help more people in Wales to benefit from effective partnership working and our joint guidance will support teams to confidently collaborate to achieve better health outcomes for patients.”
Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI said:
“Partnerships between the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry are essential—not only for delivering faster access to life changing treatments, but also for unlocking expertise, capacity, and innovation. There is clear evidence, and countless examples which demonstrate the real value collaborative projects bring to patients, staff and the NHS.
“Our latest guidance will help the NHS and industry in Wales establish transparent, well-governed partnerships with shared objectives and robust safeguards, creating projects truly focused on improving patient outcomes and public health.”
- Guidance: Working together: Guidance to support transformative pharmaceutical industry partnerships with the NHS in Wales.
- Explore the wealth of health system efficiencies and patient benefits gained from these collaborations in the ABPI’ s library of cross-sector initiatives.
- Join our webinar on 16 December showcasing collaborative working in Wales and offering practical ideas to help organisations develop, implement and evaluate partnerships to improve patient outcomes.
About us
We are the membership organisation that brings together, supports and speaks for the whole healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The members we represent employ 1.5 million staff, care for more than 1 million patients a day and control £150 billion of public expenditure. We promote collaboration and partnership working as the key to improving population health, delivering high-quality care and reducing health inequalities.
