A Common Understanding 2025

5.Showcase

The following case studies demonstrate how collaborative working between the NHS in Scotland, the pharmaceutical industry, and other partners has delivered meaningful benefits for patients and the healthcare system.

Case Study 1: Diabetes inpatient care

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Sanofi collaborated to enhance inpatient diabetes care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. The project aimed to reduce cases of delayed discharge, hypoglycaemic episodes, and insulin-related medication errors by implementing approved standards of multidisciplinary patient care.

Key initiatives included:

• Redesigning inpatient pathways to ensure coordinated management of insulin-dependent patients.
• Developing structured therapy reviews for all diabetic inpatients.
• Establishing safe procedures for pen insulin administration, including a bespoke protocol.
• Providing targeted education and support for nursing teams, including employing two part-time Diabetes Specialist Nurses between 2018 and 2020.

The project significantly reduced insulin-related serious adverse events and improved adherence to clinical guidelines. Patients retained autonomy over insulin self-administration, while staff benefited from enhanced training and confidence in diabetes management. Sanofi gained valuable insights into inpatient diabetes care, and the project provided a scalable model for wider adoption across the NHS in Scotland.

Case Study 2: Best pathways for people with heart attacks

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the Golden Jubilee Foundation, the University of Glasgow, the Scottish Ambulance Service and AstraZeneca UK Limited worked together, enabled by an award by The Data Lab, to develop the Greater Glasgow Acute Coronary Syndrome e-Registry. This e-Registry is a near real-time tracking tool that maps heart attack treatment pathways and outcomes.

By linking anonymised records from eight hospitals, the registry identified key factors affecting post-discharge outcomes for nearly 2,500 patients, revealing delays in treating high-risk non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients.

In response, a new service was established, directly admitting high-risk patients to the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, resulting in 99% of patients receiving life-saving angiography within 24 hours, reducing the median waiting time to four hours compared to the UK average of 56 hours. The initiative was predicted to have saved the NHS £1.1 million in bed costs within a year.

Beyond clinical improvements, the registry provides insights into practice variation, gender differences, and socioeconomic factors affecting outcomes, providing a model for improving heart attack care across the UK.

Case Study 3: Heart failure management

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd have worked together to develop a comprehensive multidisciplinary heart failure service at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Stobhill Hospital.

This ongoing initiative aims to improve care pathways for patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition with limited treatment options and high rates of mortality and hospitalisation.

By establishing a structured service, the project aims to set a precedent for improving HFpEF management across the UK and globally. This collaboration highlights a commitment to innovation in heart failure treatment and improving patient outcomes and aligns with the Scottish Government’s Heart Disease Improvement Plan, seeking to create a whole-system approach to HFpEF care.

Case Study 4: Prehabilitation

MSD worked with NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Cancer Centre and the Southeast Scotland Cancer Network (SCAN) to understand the feasibility and impact of using prehabilitation techniques in patients with advanced metastatic lung cancer. This is the most common cancer in Scotland, with nearly half of patients diagnosed at a late stage, where frailty and comorbidities limit treatment options. The aim of the Early Prehabilitation in Lung Cancer (EPIC) project was to reduce symptom burden, improve patient fitness and increase treatment rates. The project, based at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, ran for 30 months.

Participants showed fewer Emergency Department visits, reduced hospital admissions and shorter hospital stays, compared to a matched cohort. They were more likely to access treatment, have improved overall survival and their nutritional needs were better understood. Analysis showed scaling the project across the NHS in Scotland could free-up more than 10,000 bed days each year. Feedback from both participants and NHS partners was positive.

Aligning with the Scottish Government’s Cancer Strategy, EPIC highlights how collaborating with industry to facilitate prehabilitation inclusion in lung cancer care pathways can improve outcomes for patients while optimising use of healthcare resources.

You can explore a wealth of additional Scottish health system efficiencies and patient benefits gained from these collaborations in the ABPI’s library of cross-sector initiatives.¹⁰