How are life sciences companies helping the NHS on the ground?

As part of the health community, the life sciences sector in the UK wants to play as big a role as possible in tackling COVD-19 – both in the search for effective diagnostics and treatments and by supporting patients, the NHS and Government across the UK.

The COVID-19 outbreak is having an unprecedented impact on the country, the NHS and of course everybody around the world.

 

Those of us working in life science industries, want to do everything we possibly can to help address this crisis.

 

That's why today, along with my colleagues leading trade associations throughout life sciences, whether medicines devices, diagnostics, biotechnology we've come together to make three important commitments on how we feel we can help.

 

First and foremost, colleagues around the world are working day and night by now to discover and develop treatments and vaccines that could help treat and prevent this disease.

 

Second, we'll continue to do everything in our power to make sure the NHS continues to get the supply it needs to treat the patients of today. That means medicines, diagnostics, and anything that companies can provide.

 

Finally, through our people, we are really calling on our members to help wherever possible.

 

We have many highly skilled staff across the lifelines industries. Some of them doctors, pharmacists and other professionals that can really help.

 

We're calling on our companies wherever possible to make those colleagues available so that we can support the NHS and support patients.

How are life sciences companies helping the NHS on the ground?

Together with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), BioIndustry Association (BIA), British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) and the British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA), we have put out a call to action on the UK life sciences industry’s commitment to fighting COVID-19 and supporting NHS patients.

Our companies have the experience, knowledge and facilities to provide support across healthcare if they work together during this crisis.

We’re calling on them. If they can offer practical support in any of these areas, or have any other offer of support to please contact the ABPI with the details at COVID19@abpi.org.uk.

We are focussed on three areas:

Responding to COVID-19

1. Delivering medicines and health technology to fight COVID-19

  • Prioritise research and development of COVID-19 related diagnostics, treatments, health technologies and vaccines.
  • Facilitate input and intelligence sharing from companies to support patient testing and therapeutics.
  • Identify and support companies to facilitate testing for COVID-19

 Explore out how pharmaceutical companies are researching and developing diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.

2. Prioritising the supply of diagnostics, medicines and health technologies for NHS patients

  • We are prioritising getting medicines and health technologies to NHS patients, working to mitigate any impact that global supply chain, manufacturing and transport disruption may have on the availability of medicines and health technologies, including for clinical study and research activities.

3. Supporting NHS service delivery

  • Identify and support the opportunities for thousands of highly skilled people working in life science - including doctors, nurses and pharmacists and non-clinical staff – to volunteer to help where most needed
  • Supporting the NHS to improve capacity for COVID-19 testing and diagnostics.

Read our joint statement on responding to COVID-19 and examples of how companies are helping the NHS on the ground

Last modified: 20 September 2023

Last reviewed: 20 September 2023