ABPI response to NHS Confederation reports: NHS Reset and Health inequalities

The NHS Confederation has today published two reports - NHS Reset: A new direction for health and care and Health Inequalities: Time to act.  

The first aims to reset how the NHS plans, commissions and delivers care in the aftermath of COVID-19, learning from the experience of the pandemic. The second recognises that health inequalities meant unequal outcomes from COVID in different communities, and the need for the NHS to tackle these inequalities.  

Responding to the NHS Reset report, ABPI's Chief Executive Richard Torbett said: 

“Pharmaceutical companies responded in unprecedented ways to support the NHS to respond to the COVID19 pandemic, and are ready to support the recovery.  This is a welcome report and we look forward to discussing how ABPI members can use their expertise to evaluate and embed new ways of working to transform the lives of patients.

“Industry will do all it can to help bring about a ‘new normal’ for the NHS, where it can manage COVID pressures while addressing health inequalities and revitalising services for patients.”

Responding to the health inequalities report, Haseeb Ahmad, President of the ABPI said:

“Tackling long-standing health inequalities is central to the mission of the pharmaceutical industry. We look forward to bringing company and NHS leaders together to discuss how industry can support, including creating the practical tools to address health inequalities locally.

“A focus on preventative care, as well as making health services culturally appropriate is essential, and ABPI members are committed to playing their part to address these issues.”

Haseeb Ahmad holds roles as Global Head of Value & Access and Commercial Development at Novartis as well as serving as Country President at Novartis UK, additionally he serves as ABPI President. Novartis supported publication of the NHS Reset and Health Inequalities reports, but had no input or influence in their editorial content.