HHE Perspectives on Hospital and Industry Partnerships | Page 9

Embracing future partnership opportunities
I
n situations where respondents would consider engaging with
industry, they have a variety of expectations as to how this
interaction could be improved and supported by the manufacturer.
‘We need to reach our target; we need to
be helped by the supplier in order to put in
place the new solution, the new methodology,
modality of deployment of the new solution.
We need really to partner with the supplier.’
For hospitals to co-create solutions with medical device
manufacturers, the manufacturers would need to be able to
demonstrate the impact of the solution such as the benefits to
patient care, improved satisfaction rates and/or reduced costs.
Purchasing Director, France
‘The patients must be as important [for the]
manufacturer as they are to us.’
It was widely believed that manufacturers need to propose a clear
business case stating what each side will get out of the solution;
this needs to be signed off at the governing body level.
Pharmacy Director, Spain
Overall, the respondents believed it is important to recognise the
value that industry can bring to the table through these partnerships
on many levels. A UK Service Re-Design Manager believes long-
term support would make the engagement even more beneficial,
for example, being incorporated into everyday work.
Manufacturers must be able to go beyond simply selling an
individual product, but instead give advice or offer a package
of solutions. They need to understand if it is a local, regional
or national problem, and share their expertise on what has
happened in similar localities or regions. Respondents also felt
there would be value in the manufacturer’s involvement when
measuring outcomes.
‘Far more attractive if, when things aren’t
going well, you can access that support.’
‘Commissioners are gatekeepers to funds –
they need to know that manufacturers truly
understand the rationale for why we want
to do this.’
Service Re-Design Manager, UK
A UK Commissioning Manager’s main expectation was that the
manufacturer would take time to consider the user-friendliness of
the offering, as well as IT and technology issues, when developing
any new product or service.
Head of Contracting, UK
Hospital personnel understand that there are targets that they
must meet and that they will need to work in conjunction with
industry to achieve their goals.
When the respondents considered what manufacturers would
need to do to build trust with hospitals, they responded with the
actions centred around value-adding services such as focusing
on pathways, providing process maps, avoiding duplication and
eliminating waste.
Evaluating success
‘If you have worked in public sector for a
while, it’s easy to get engrossed in how it has
always been and perceptions of what works or
doesn’t work. Fresh eyes that challenge current
systems or ways of working are needed.’
I
n general, confidentiality agreements give hospital stakeholders
a high level of comfort with external parties accessing the
hospital facilities and/or data to provide solutions. However, the
particular systems accessed would need to be clearly determined
and an assurance gained on what the data would be used for.
In the UK, respondents acknowledged that, with the current
financial restrictions, there isn’t necessarily enough capital
available to develop the required services. Respondents felt that
if the relevant skillsets existed within the commercial industry
to help maintain and improve services (with the aim of helping
patients get better), then these should be harnessed. Many
respondents stated ‘why not use it?’.
Service Re-Design Manager, UK
influencing ‘Change Models’ is education. In the public sector, there
can be a culture of ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and there needs to
be education on the benefits of any proposed changes. For a project
to be successful at implementing changes, there needs to be a shift in
operational procedures – this may include data recording to measure
success or engagement with the staff delivering the changes.
From a service re-design perspective, one of the biggest factors
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