If you’re basing your UK market access strategy on a neat, static view of the NHS – think again. The system is evolving at a pace we’ve not seen in years. And if you’re not engaging with it in real time, you’re already behind.
Recent headlines have made it official: NHS England is set to be abolished, with sweeping cutbacks across Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), especially targeting non-clinical staff. This will lead to major structural upheaval — including ICB mergers and consolidation of functions across regions. This isn’t just administrative noise. These changes will ripple out into how decisions are made, who makes them, and how services are commissioned.
It’s a volatile picture, and relying on a one-off stakeholder map or a static view of NHS structures is a risky game. What you "knew" two weeks ago could already be outdated. Strategies built on old intelligence risk missing the mark entirely.
To succeed in this environment, pharma companies need a dynamic, real-time understanding of what’s happening on the ground. That means regular engagement with key decision-makers and policy influencers — not just once a quarter. This is how you uncover the hidden levers: shifting priorities, evolving pathways, capacity constraints, and how new policies are actually being implemented locally.
Take the transition from CCGs to ICBs. On the surface, it looked like a clean handover. But in practice, every CCG brought its own formulary, its own legacy decisions, and its own influence. Pharma companies that weren’t actively engaged were blindsided when rationalisation didn’t go the way they expected. The upcoming ICB changes will throw the pieces in the air again.
This environment demands a level of access and local insight that most internal teams simply don’t have the time, network, or focus to achieve. That’s where we come in. At NeoNavitas, we specialise in navigating this complexity — delivering real-time, field-based insight that directly informs strategy and engagement.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve rather than play catch-up, now’s the time to act. Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can support you.