Demystifying NHS-pharmaceutical industry collaboration: Unlocking value already within reach

Across the NHS, leaders face rising demand, workforce constraints, limited finances and pressure to improve outcomes at pace.

While developing new partnerships will always be important, value lies in first looking outward: learning from existing or completed NHS-pharmaceutical industry (industry) collaborations to assess whether proven solutions could be adapted locally. 

NHS-industry partnerships are not new. What is changing is the imperative to make better use of existing resources, expertise and proven approaches, rather than duplicating effort in an already stretched system. When done well, collaboration can strengthen and optimise services, support innovation, and accelerate improvement – all while keeping patients’ benefits firmly at the centre.

Why collaborate – and why now?

Industry partners bring capabilities the NHS cannot always easily mobilise alone: implementation expertise, analytical capacity, digital tools, and experience from other health systems facing similar challenges. For NHS organisations, collaboration can unlock additional skills and momentum, helping teams focus on what matters most –  delivering better care for patients.

Crucially, collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry aims to deliver a triple win: efficient NHS services, better patient outcomes and timely use of innovative medicines within guidance. Established guidance¹ and codes of practice⁷ exist to ensure such partnerships are ethical, transparent and aligned to public benefit. These safeguards are not barriers; they are enablers.

A practical starting point for NHS teams

One of the most common barriers to collaboration is uncertainty: Where do we start? Who do we approach? What’s allowed? Demystifying this process is essential.

Clear national guidance already exists to support NHS organisations. The jointly developed NHS Confederation and Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry guidance¹ provides practical advice on forming effective partnerships in plain English. It reinforces that collaboration must be patient‑centred, time‑limited, openly declared and aligned to shared objectives.

Approaching industry does not require a fully formed solution. In many cases, starting with a clearly articulated problem, eg capacity constraints, is the most powerful first step. The best partnerships are built on curiosity, mutual respect and a shared desire to improve outcomes.

Learning from what works: Collaboration in practice

Across the country, NHS teams are already demonstrating what is possible.² Award‑winning collaborations have delivered tangible benefits: improved clinical pathways, reduced variation, better use of data, and more sustainable services.

Collaborative working in areas such as population health management and service redesign has shown how combining NHS insight with industry expertise can unlock faster, more scalable change. The double award-winning^3,4 Gateshead Health Foundation Trust and Novartis⁵  partnership strengthened specialist pathways, improved patient outcomes, and increased system efficiency. Novartis and The Royal Marsden partnership project,⁸  highly commended at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2026⁴, shows how smart workforce innovation can future‑proof cancer care while delivering real value for patients and the NHS. These offer practical examples of how collaborations can be operationalised, not just discussed.

The key lesson is simple: NHS organisations do not have to solve every problem alone. Learning from other systems, whether within the NHS or beyond, is not cutting corners, but a sensible use of finite time and resources.

A call to action

Now is the moment for NHS leaders to be curious, not cautious. Explore the guidance available. Learn from successful collaborations already delivering impact. Start a conversation with pharmaceutical industry partners who share your ambition to improve care.

Where your collaboration has made a difference, consider sharing your story. Recognition through initiatives such as the HSJ Partnership Awards⁶ not only celebrates success but helps spread learning across the wider system.

By working together – ethically, transparently and with purpose – the NHS and industry can unlock value already within reach, for the benefit of patients and the communities they serve.

References:

^1. Accelerating transformation: How to develop effective NHS-industry partnerships. https://www.abpi.org.uk/publications/accelerating-transformation-how-to-develop-effective-nhs-industry-partnerships/   Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^2. NHS-Industry Partnership Case Studies Library.https://www.abpi.org.uk/partnerships/working-with-the-nhs/nhs-industry-partnership-case-studies-library/#?cludoquery=*&cludopage=1&cludoinputtype=standard   Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^3. HSJ Awards 2025: Medicines, Pharmacy and Prescribing Initiative of the Year. https://www.hsj.co.uk/news/hsj-awards-2025-medicines-pharmacy-and-prescribing-initiative-of-the-year/7040306.article  Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^4. HSJ Partnership Awards 2026: Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS. https://www.hsj.co.uk/news/hsj-partnership-awards-2026-best-pharmaceutical-partnership-with-the-nhs/7041102.article. Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^5. Gateshead Secondary Prevention ASCVD MDT Clinic. https://www.novartis.com/uk-en/about/partnerships/collaborative-working/gateshead-health-nhs-foundation-trust-queen-elizabeth-hospital   Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^6. HSJ Partnership Awards. https://partnership.hsj.co.uk/   Accessed 24^th April 2026.

^7. ABPI Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry. https://www.pmcpa.org.uk/media/r0anf5ya/2024-abpi-code.pdf  Accessed 24^th April 2026

^8. Royal Marsden Breast Cancer Capacity Service Redesign. https://www.novartis.com/uk-en/about/partnerships/collaborative-working/royal-marsden-breast-cancer   Accessed 24^th April 2026