Charter to develop healthcare innovation in Wales

AstraZeneca, the UK’s leading life science company, are the latest organisation to sign up to a charter to promote health care innovation in Wales.

They have today joined the Welsh Government, Swansea University and Life Sciences Hub Wales in pledging to work together to develop new ways of diagnosing and treating illnesses and achieving what matters most to patients and service users.

This collaborative approach will integrate policy aims across health and the economy in Wales, helping to prioritise the introduction of innovative healthcare medicines and technologies in Wales, on the basis of value created for people and communities.

The Welsh Government’s Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Mike Emery said:

New science, data and technology is leading to new breakthroughs in the way we diagnose and treat illnesses, leading to much better results for patients.

This charter brings together the NHS, government, academia, and industry partners to explore and develop new ways to deliver healthcare in Wales.

It will help introduce innovative healthcare practices, technology and medicines in Wales that will lead to better health outcomes for everyone.

This work is a key to delivering Value Based Healthcare as set out in the Welsh Government’s health strategy A Healthier Wales.

AstraZeneca UK’s President, Tom Keith-Roach said: 

At AstraZeneca, we're passionate about transforming patient lives for the better. By partnering with the healthcare system and academia we can transform health outcomes at the population level together through innovative, sustainable delivery models of care.

We are proud to be building on our existing purpose led partnerships with Swansea University and Health Boards across the country to deliver on the vision for a healthier Wales.

Together we are already advancing the way thousands of people are diagnosed and treated; earlier lung cancer diagnosis and treatment through targeted genomic testing across Aneurin Bevan and tackling post-pandemic backlogs in asthma care across Hywel Dda.

Through this Charter we now have the shared ambition to scale partnerships like these at a national level. 

AstraZeneca is proud to work with Wales and together we should be inspired by what science can do.

Chris Martin, Chair at Life Sciences Hub Wales, said:

As a nation, Wales acts as a true trailblazer in Value-Based Healthcare, with our organisation having long supported ground-breaking initiatives that sustainably enhance outcomes for patients and staff.

We’re excited to strengthen our relationships with cross-sector colleagues through this Charter, where we can support vital innovation adoption – working closely with Health Boards and industry partners to source solutions that address need and deliver value.

Professor Hamish Laing at Swansea University said:

Swansea University was founded by industry and has a long history of supporting industry partnerships.

Since 2021 we have been proud to host the internationally renowned Value-Based Health and Care Academy, part funded by Welsh Government, in our School of Management.

The Academy delivers education, research and consultancy in Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) to support its introduction across the World.

The University looks forward to working with AZ and our partners in Wales to advance learning and the adoption of innovation that supports sustainable health systems.