Context:
Pharmaceutical companies are being asked to demonstrate greater value, deliver real-world outcomes, and tailor their strategies to the needs of local NHS systems. At the NeoNavitas Sub-National Access Conference, Ben — VP of Innovation and Digital Performance — made the case that the data to support all of this already exists. The real challenge is knowing how to access it, interpret it, and use it collaboratively.
1. We’ve Entered a New Era of NHS Data Access
The NHS now provides more data than ever — prescribing trends, patient demographics, service activity, outcomes, even longitudinal patient histories — yet much of this is still underused by industry. Ben’s key point: data is no longer the bottleneck. Awareness and capability are.
Pharma teams that know where to look — and how to use the data — will have a clear advantage in understanding local systems, informing strategy, and co-creating solutions.
2. A Step Change: Patient-Level Longitudinal Prescribing Data
Ben introduced a major development: access to anonymised, longitudinal prescribing data for every NHS patient in England over the past 6–7 years.
This dataset allows users to:
Track prescribing history at patient level
Understand persistence, compliance, and treatment pathways
Segment by demographics, geography, and care setting
Identify unwarranted variation in treatment patterns
Crucially, this insight isn’t just for internal planning — it’s a new foundation for collaboration with the NHS on pathway redesign, resource allocation, and value-based contracting.
3. Linking Prescribing to Outcomes: The Next Frontier
The true power of this data lies in its linkage to hospital episode statistics (HES). For the first time, it is possible to:
See how prescribing choices influence admissions and outcomes
Identify whether NICE-recommended pathways are being followed
Model the impact of earlier or more appropriate therapy on system cost and capacity
Ben noted this is already being explored with NHS England — and the potential to support outcomes-based agreements, real-world evaluations, and more informed NICE implementation is huge.
4. A Platform for Deeper Collaboration
This isn't about flooding NHS stakeholders with raw data. Instead, the most valuable conversations now begin with:
“What are your system priorities?”
“Here’s what the data says about them.”
“How can we align our strategy with your needs?”
Ben’s team is already supporting NHS partners who lack time or capability to interpret this data. There is a clear opportunity for pharma to step in — not just to use the data for themselves, but to help systems make sense of it too.
5. What Industry Should Do Now
Ben’s advice was clear: the data is there, the demand from NHS partners is growing, and the time to act is now.
Pharma companies should:
Upskill field and HQ teams on the latest NHS data assets and how to use them
Partner with organisations that can access and analyse NHS data responsibly
Build business cases using real-world insight — not national averages
Explore collaborative models with NHS systems based on shared outcomes and measurable change
Conclusion: From Insight to Impact
NHS data is no longer a black box. It is a shared strategic asset — but only if it is used wisely. For pharmaceutical companies, the opportunity is not just to access the data, but to bring clarity to it, and use it to drive smarter, faster, and more aligned decision-making.
At NeoNavitas, we help pharma teams do exactly that — unlocking insight from NHS data and turning it into strategy, engagement, and measurable results.
If you're ready to bring data-driven clarity to your NHS partnerships, we'd love to talk.