Strategic Partnerships

Schering-Plough is striving to be a different kind of healthcare company. We understand that disease and ill health do not occur in isolation, which is why we are aiming to look at the whole picture. From working across UK health services since the NHS was established more than 60 years ago, we know that in order to meet patient needs we need to look at more than medicines. We need new thinking, genuine innovation, and a willingness to really listen; to retain best practices, but also to facilitate change. Our aim is your aim; we want to work through partnerships to develop real innovations that measurably improve patient outcomes. 

We are striving to:

• Be patient-focused and customer-focused

• Operate with business integrity, quality and compliance in every dimension of our work

• Put science at the centre of our company

• Do the right thing for the patient

Established in 2008, the Strategic Partnerships team supports the development of joint working initiatives with the changing NHS. From a starting point of putting the patient firmly at the centre of all we do, we are looking to engage in different ways of doing business – not just medicines but health solutions. The team has a broad range of expertise in healthcare and disease, world-class commissioning, service re-design, marketing and business planning. Through a genuine partnership approach we are aiming to work across healthcare priority areas alongside policy makers, parliamentarians, service commissioners, trusts and practices and patient advocacy groups and play our own vital role in improving patient outcomes. 

Many of the therapy areas that we are focused on - including cardiovascular disease, contraception and opioid dependence - are at the centre of some of the most entrenched health and social problems in the UK. We do not have all the answers, but we also do not believe that these can be found by working in isolation. Our favoured approach is through partnership working with the local and national NHS; with community groups, policy makers, healthcare professionals and patient advocates. Through this work we are beginning to see tangible results that are helping people to lead healthier lives.

Through using our pioneering approach to partnership working we have provided valuable expertise to help redesign healthcare services to maximise capacity and better meet patient need. We have identified and overcome local and national policy obstacles previously seen as immovable, and assisted in the development of innovative solutions to effective service provision. We have also worked with local healthcare professionals to identify and better manage high risk groups. Our current partnerships range from working with an individual GP practice or hospital trust, through to Primary Care Organisations and even larger scale regional projects rolled out across entire Strategic Health Authorities.

Our work is of course rooted in science. First and foremost Schering-Plough is a pharmaceutical company, which markets and sells medicines. We are constantly looking ahead to identify how to meet the needs of future generations through our research and development activities.  However, we realise that to commission truly world class health services, fit for the 21st century, medicines make up a vital part of the picture, but are by no means the whole.

We continually scan the external environment to ensure that Schering-Plough is able to offer the best value added programmes in healthcare. We always start by listening and understanding our potential partner’s vision and priorities so that we can align our strategies. The projects that we commit to are patient focused; have clear objectives and measurable outcomes; embrace continuous learning and development on all sides; and aim to share best practice across the wider NHS. We will deliver on our promises and bring innovative thinking to all that we do.

We are learning from every partnership project we undertake and applying these lessons to future partnerships to ensure that we are always delivering the most efficient and effective solutions to better meet the needs of patients. At Schering-Plough we want our track record to be based on delivery, with tangible results helping to meet key policy needs, and as equal partners in providing truly patient-focused healthcare.  If you share this goal then we’d like to talk to you further.

Schering-Plough is currently involved in the following Joint Working projects:

  
For more information, contact the Strategic Partnership team administrator at:
Schering-Plough Ltd
Schering-Plough House
Shire Park
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire AL7 1TW
Tel: 01707 363779

The ABPI has recently issued guidance notes on joint working between pharmaceutical companies and the NHS and others for the benefit of patients.

http://www.abpi.org.uk/publications/pdfs/ABPI_Code_Guidance_Notes.pdf