New strategic partnership to shape the future of health and care across Cheshire and Merseyside

Health Innovation North West Coast, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a long-term strategic partnership.

The partnership will help translate scientific discovery into real-world impact, support the adoption and spread of proven innovation, and strengthen the region’s capacity to develop and embed new approaches to care. Its shared aims are to improve patient outcomes, reduce inequalities and contribute to the growth of Cheshire and Merseyside’s health and life sciences ecosystem.

The partnership builds on existing collaboration across the region, including work on cardiovascular disease, oncology, pathway redesign and service transformation. Its initial focus will be cardiovascular disease and oncology, helping advances in healthcare reach people faster and more equitably.

Partners will work together to:

• Tackle barriers to diagnosis, treatment and care
• Improve equitable access to innovation
• Support the adoption of proven approaches
• Generate evidence and insights to drive improvement

A central ambition is to help innovation move more quickly from research and evidence into routine care. By drawing on regional data, clinical research and real-world insight, the collaboration will identify opportunities to improve outcomes, strengthen the innovation pipeline and inform future health and care priorities.

Equitable access will remain at the heart of the work. Partners will explore how innovation can better reflect and reach underserved communities, including people who experience barriers to diagnosis, treatment and care.

Phil Jennings, Chief Executive at Health Innovation North West Coast, said: “Partnership between the pharmaceutical industry, the NHS and our regional life sciences system is essential if we are to translate innovation into real-world impact. By working together, we can align scientific discovery, clinical expertise and system priorities to accelerate access to new treatments, address population health needs, and deliver better outcomes for patients and communities.”

Joan Spencer, Chief Executive of The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Bringing new cancer therapies to patients requires close collaboration across the whole health and life sciences ecosystem. At Clatterbridge, we see first-hand the difference that earlier access to cutting-edge treatments can make for people affected by cancer. By partnering with industry, NHS colleagues and our regional life sciences system, we can help accelerate the journey from discovery and development into clinical practice, ensuring that the Liverpool City Region and the wider North West play a leading role in bringing the next generation of cancer therapies to patients who need them.”

James Thomson, Group Chief Commercial Officer for NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, said: “Signing this partnership reflects our commitment to working differently and collaboratively to unlock the full potential of the Liverpool life sciences ecosystem. By bringing together the scale and expertise of the NHS, the insight and innovation of the pharmaceutical industry, and the strengths of our regional partners, we can create the conditions for faster adoption of innovation, better value for the health system, and improved outcomes for the communities we serve. This is exactly the kind of purposeful collaboration needed to support inclusive growth and position our region as a leading place for health and life sciences innovation.”

Johan Kahlström, Country President and Managing Director, Novartis UK, said: “At Novartis UK, we believe lasting progress happens when organisations come together around shared goals. Through this partnership, we have an opportunity to go further together to address some of the most significant health challenges facing Cheshire and Merseyside.”

“By combining the expertise of the NHS, industry and regional partners, we can help accelerate equitable access to innovation, generate valuable insights and support better outcomes for people affected by cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

Senior leaders from each organisation will provide strategic oversight, identify opportunities for collaboration and ensure that activity remains focused on measurable benefits for patients, populations and communities.

The partners will now work with the wider health and life sciences system across Cheshire and Merseyside to develop a programme that strengthens research and collaboration, builds capacity for change, and helps more people benefit from healthcare innovation.