Blog | Reflecting on the ABPI annual conference

Solution Specialist, Isabel Hunt reflects on the ABPI Annual Conference.

The UK does not have an innovation problem. It has an implementation problem. That was the clear message from this year’s ABPI Annual Conference, where leaders from across industry, the NHS and patient groups came together to discuss how to improve patient outcomes. While innovation continues at pace, too many patients still experience delays or inconsistent access in practice.

For patients, regulatory approval does not equal access. Benefit is only realised when innovation is adopted quickly, used consistently and embedded into routine clinical pathways. Without that, even the most promising advances risk falling short.

Closing the gap between approval and patient benefit

For market access leaders, the challenge is clear. Positive NICE guidance and commercial agreements are necessary — but they are not sufficient.

Variation in uptake across the NHS remains persistent. New therapies are not always visible within established pathways and clinicians may lack the time or tools to identify eligible patients at scale. At the same time, system pressures make it difficult to introduce change without adding burden.

The result is a disconnect between national intent and local delivery — and closing that gap requires a shift in approach. Access must be treated not as a one-off milestone, but as an ongoing process of implementation, adoption and optimisation.

This is where implementation partners like Optum UK can play an important role — bridging the gap between national recommendations and system-level delivery and helping translate ambition into practical, scalable change.

What needs to change

Three practical shifts stood out:

1. Engage earlier in the pathway
Preparation must begin before NICE guidance is published — not after. Early collaboration creates time to shape pathways, align stakeholders and build system readiness ahead of launch.

2. Embed innovation into clinical workflows
New interventions are far more likely to be adopted when integrated into existing systems — not layered on top. This means aligning therapies with real-world decision-making and care pathways.

3. Use data to proactively identify patients
A major barrier to uptake is simply finding eligible patients. Population health analytics and embedded clinical logic can systematically identify cohorts — improving consistency and reducing reliance on manual processes.

Together, these shifts move implementation from a passive to an active process.

Turning strategy into action

What does this look like in practice?

Through our medicines and health technology adoption solutions, we support system readiness by embedding guideline-aligned innovations directly into clinical workflows. This includes designing pathways that enable precise patient identification without increasing unwarranted variation.

In work supporting updated chronic kidney disease (CKD) guidance, we enabled large-scale patient identification through embedded clinical systems. More than 52,000 patients were automatically screened, with over 2,000 flagged as high risk and identified for further investigation by healthcare professionals.

This approach did not rely on additional workload or awareness alone. Instead, pathway logic and patient identification were built into routine care — making it easier for clinicians to act. The result is a more targeted and scalable approach to implementation, enabling earlier intervention for patients who may otherwise have been missed.

Improving equity through better visibility

Equity of access remains a key challenge. Despite national guidance, patient access to new therapies can still vary significantly.

A major driver of this variation is visibility. When new treatments are not clearly integrated into pathways, they are less likely to be used consistently.

By embedding therapies directly into clinical workflows — supported by data and actionable prompts — we can improve visibility and reduce unwarranted variation. Clinicians are better able to identify eligible patients, and treatment decisions are more consistently aligned with guidance.

This creates a more deliberate and equitable model of access, ensuring innovation reaches those who can benefit most.

The role of real-world evidence

The conference also highlighted the growing importance of understanding whether innovation is delivering in practice.

Real-world evidence plays a critical role in assessing outcomes, monitoring uptake and identifying where further action is needed. By linking activity, outcomes and pathway data, it becomes possible to evaluate impact beyond clinical trials.

For example, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, we supported the FSA IID3 research programme — enrolling over 6,000 patients in less than seven months to track disease epidemiology at scale. This type of work demonstrates how real-world data can generate timely insight to inform both clinical practice and system decision-making.

Why partnership matters

Delivering this kind of change requires collaboration across industry, the NHS and system partners.

We see the value of combining data, analytics and operational expertise to translate national recommendations into practical delivery. The most effective partnerships are formed early — before launch — when there is still time to design pathways and prepare for adoption.

When innovation is built into NHS systems — rather than added as an afterthought — it is more likely to be trusted, adopted and sustained.

A call to action for market access leaders

The opportunity is clear. The UK has a strong innovation pipeline — the challenge is ensuring it delivers in practice.

For market access teams, this means focusing on implementation from the outset:

Engage system partners early to build readiness ahead of launch
Design solutions that fit within real-world clinical workflows
Use data and analytics to proactively identify patient populations

By doing so, it is possible to shorten the time between approval and patient benefit — reducing variation, improving outcomes and creating more sustainable value for the NHS.

Ultimately, innovation only delivers on its promise when it reaches patients. Partnership is what makes that possible.

If you are part of an industry market access team planning for launch or growth, speak to us early. Together, we can turn innovation into impact.

This article was prepared by Isabel Hunt in a personal capacity. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by the author of this piece belong to the author and do not purport to represent the views, thoughts and opinions of Optum.

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About the author

Isabel Hunt

Market solution specialist - Life Sciences

Izzy brings deep expertise and a proven track record in helping sponsors and CROs deliver studies with greater precision, speed and equity. In her role as a Market Solutions Specialist at Optum, she sits between technology, data and research delivery, turning complicated problems into practical solutions that make a real difference.