06.02.20
NHS Wales and ABPI launch new collaborative toolkit
The Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) Cymru Wales has partnered with the Welsh NHS Confederation to launch a new toolkit to promote the pharmaceutical industry and NHS Wales working together for patients.
The toolkit, launched yesterday (Feb 5) at the 21st Welsh NHS Confederation Annual Conference and Exhibition, will work jointly to benefit patients, the NHS and the pharmaceutical companies involved.
Joint Working is the name given to a specific type of NHS and pharmaceutical industry collaboration, as opposed to a generic cross-sector collaboration.
It has been defined as a situation where both the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry unite and share their experience or resources to further develop implementation of patient centred projects, sharing a commitment to successful delivery.
These new ‘triple-win’ measures provide potential benefits for the three parties involved. For patients, these span to getting care closer to home, better information and experience of the healthcare system and fewer hospital admissions.
For NHS Wales, it gives the potential of higher quality care, lower hospital admissions and better use of resources thanks to services configured around patient needs.
Finally, the industry partner could benefit from an increase in the appropriate use of medicines aligned to local or national guidance, a better understanding of challenges faced by the NHS and faster implementation of NHS policy.
Darren Hughes, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said:
“Our Annual Conference, Working Together Towards A Healthier Wales, brings leaders from all aspects of health and social care together to drive forward improvements in how we work together.
“The Conference is the perfect time to launch this initiative to support joint-working between the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS in Wales.”
“This toolkit will help to deliver on the aims set out in the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for health and social care, A Healthier Wales, bringing care closer to home and fewer hospital admissions.
“We also believe this toolkit will help to provide higher quality care and better health outcomes for patients.”
Photo: NHS Confederation Wales