Building effective partnerships between health and care and the life sciences industry

Developments in life sciences have a profound impact on health and care, offering innovative solutions to complex health challenges. Adoption of life science developments in health and care can help advance medical research, develop new therapies and technologies, and create healthier societies.  

In this session, you will explore: 

• the current state of play when it comes to the health and care system and the VCSE sector working in partnership with industry 

• why the full potential of the UK’s life sciences industry is not yet being fully realised 

• the shift towards patient-centric approaches in developments 

• advancements in med-tech and genomics to improve patient health and diagnostics  

• the benefits of partnerships across industry, the health and care system and the VCSE sector, and what can be achieved.  

More speakers tbc.

When partnerships are built effectively between the health and care system and life sciences industry, there can be significant benefits such as better patient outcomes and reduced operational pressures. However, there are often many barriers to overcome in order to work together effectively.

In this session, you will:

• look at case studies of successful partnerships, evaluating what worked well and how barriers were overcome

• hear from leaders about their experiences, the challenges they faced, and successful outcomes

• evaluate how partnering with industry can enable projects that may not otherwise be possible.

More speakers tbc.

Partnering with organisations in the life sciences industry can sometimes feel challenging for the health and care sector for a number of reasons, but a key one is that building trust can feel difficult. There can be a degree of mistrust and anxiety around working with industry due to concerns such as conflicts of interest and seeing industry innovations as burdens rather than solutions to challenges.

In this interactive session, you will:

• explore why building cross-sector trust can feel difficult

• look at how trust can be fostered to allow partnerships the opportunity to develop and deliver positive change

• hear a case study example of how trust was built between an NHS Trust and industry to build a successful partnership and deliver positive outcomes.

One of the key enablers to life sciences partnerships is the ability for the health and care sector to be innovative. The passion and drive from innovators is there, but making change happen can often feel unnecessarily difficult and be a struggle.

Limited funding remains a substantial barrier, as well as system-level obstacles such as short-termism, and limited headspace for the workforce to think about doing things differently. Against a backdrop of challenges, what can be done to improve innovation in the health and care sector?

In this session, you will look at: 

• the reality of innovation in the health and care sector

• how already existing barriers can be compounded by lack of clarity around leadership roles in adopting innovation

• examples of successful innovations and partnerships with industry and how these were achieved

• how, by focusing on patient outcomes, innovation can become easier to achieve.

More speakers tbc.

One of the many opportunities and challenges facing the health and care and VCSE workforces is a future entwined with life sciences, as developments in genomics, med-tech and artificial intelligence (AI) in particular will transform how the workforce operates.

Utilising these opportunities will require the workforce to continue to build digital and technical skills and capabilities, and ultimately change ways of working.

In this session, you will look at: 

• the importance of developing a culture of continuous learning and adaptability to emerging technologies

• how life sciences developments are likely to change job roles/functions of clinical staff, and what the impact of these changes could be on required skills

• supporting the next generation of leaders and evolving roles to leverage advancements in life sciences.

Putting patient and community voices at the centre of life sciences research and innovations helps to ensure that developments and outcomes are truly patient-centred.

By adopting strategies that prioritise patient engagement, the life sciences industry can develop stronger partnerships with health care providers, advocacy groups and patients themselves.

In this session, you will look at: 

• why patient voice is important and how patients and communities are helping inform design and developments

• the importance of using Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) insight and data to test and adopt innovation

• how to develop partnerships that will prioritise patient experience and outcomes.

As advancements in life sciences develop at a rapid pace, the health and care system and the VCSE sector must be ready to utilise any future developments that will benefit patients.

In this closing session, you will explore:

• the need to encourage a culture of innovation and agility within health and care to make the most of new advancements

• the patient voice as a necessity that shapes the future of health and care

• the importance of developing and maintaining strong strategic partnerships.

More speakers tbc.