Following the release of two NHS Confederation reports, focusing in on the restarting of NHS services and health inequalities, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has backed the pharmaceutical industry to play an important role.
Responding to the reports, ABPI Chief Executive Richard Torbett said: “Pharmaceutical companies responded in unprecedented ways to support the NHS to respond to the Covid-19 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-19 pressures while addressing health inequalities and revitalising services for patients.”
One report focused on how the health service plans, commissions and delivers care in the aftermath of coronavirus, learning from experience gained during the pandemic, while the other sought to recognise the ways in which health inequalities had meant unequal outcomes from Covid-19 in different communities and the need for the NHS to work close these inequalities.
Responding to the health inequalities report, Haseeb Ahmad, President of the ABPI, added: “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.”
