Working with patients, for patients, is at the heart of our mission.

“We put patients first” is one of AstraZeneca’s five core values, and I have the privilege to lead AstraZeneca’s work with patient groups, and with patients in the UK.

As a global pharmaceutical company we are passionate about pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, but it’s the changing of lives that gives this so much meaning. We are determined to make lasting differences to patient outcomes, making this happen WITH patients FOR patients.

Consultation

Delivering new medicines starts with our research, including clinical trials. We’ve been working hard to redefine how these are designed, with patients consulted, and delivered, such as by enabling them to be performed at home.

We are also embedding digital technologies and artificial intelligence in all our research and development activities to automate processes and create opportunities to improve clinical practice and engagement, helping to increase efficiencies and effectiveness for clinicians and support better experiences for patients.

Beyond developing and delivering medicines, we take seriously our responsibility to support patients in accessing these medicines, whoever they are and wherever they live. Whether that means inputting to national and local health policy, providing accessible information or supporting patients in playing as active a role as they want in their treatment choices, we’re committed to finding ways to reduce inequalities.

Collaboration

None of this can be done alone. Collaboration is at the heart of our ways of working and we drive purpose-led partnerships across the sector to deliver sustainable, evidence-based change that can address the challenges that prevent patients from receiving fast, equal access to the latest health innovations.

This is what putting patients first means to me, working collaboratively and consistently to improve the entire patient pathway, in a way that protects our society and planet and doing it WITH patients and their representatives.

This is why patient partnership is so important to AstraZeneca. Engaging directly with patients and their representative groups is central to understanding experiences, wishes, priorities and needs.

Engagement

Direct engagement, through focus groups, research or through our Patient Partnership Programme gives us direct insight that powers our thinking and actions. It gives us first-hand insight on how we can best contribute to change, either alone or with others.

Patient groups are part of the fabric of the UK healthcare environment more than many other countries and play a critical role in supporting, educating and advocating on behalf of patients.

AstraZeneca is fortunate to have many close relationships and partnerships across the disease areas in which we work. Partnership here means regular interaction to understand views and priorities, providing hands-off funding for specific programmes, sponsoring patient-focused events and working collaboratively to deliver projects that improve patient experience and outcomes.

We are confident that, as we follow the science, we can add many years to life for people up and down the country. But it is only by engaging in how that science is delivered to patients that we get the chance to add life to those years. We are grateful for the contributions patients make to our science and our wider work, and we are proud to be able to help them.

Abbie Johnson, Patient Engagement Lead at AstraZeneca UK Limited