As in The Queen Vic, the Rovers Return and the Wolf Pack, there are lots of different narratives, plots and postures fighting for supremacy.

Yep, the healthcare ecosystem is complicated. On the one hand, it is developing the most futuristic and scientifically astonishing medicines in the history of mankind. On the other, patients – who are increasingly savvy about the possibilities of futuristic treatment – are visiting NHS buildings with peeling paint, crudely handwritten signs, antiquated computer systems and rooms with no windows.

The final observation is perhaps the starkest metaphor, because progress in therapies can only happen if the panorama is clear – if healthcare professionals and patients can see what’s really going on. And that means modernisation.

Increasingly, we witness in the pages of PharmaTimes that the zeitgeist is moving away from ‘public health’ – shifting from the paradigm of state-run health systems.

And, while Wes Streeting must rebuild the NHS from the ground upwards, we should also embrace ‘choice’.

Digital dynamism, responsible self-care, AI and big tech disruption are not a collective coup waiting to pounce on an ailing institution, but a response to wider failures.

All this tumult, however, can be a force for good. Patients with an ability to navigate the maze of healthcare, and who have an investment in it, are much more likely to participate in clinical trials and the shaping of the new NHS.

With a belief that change is good, this is a soap opera that could have an uplifting storyline.

Enjoy the magazine,

John Pinching
editor

PharmaTimes Media Ltd,
Mansard House, Church Road,
Little Bookham, Surrey, KT23 3JG
Tel: +44 (0)20 7240 6999
www.pharmatimes.com Twitter: @PharmaTimes

EDITORIAL
John Pinching / editor
john.pinching@pharmatimes.com

Iona Everson / group managing editor
iona.everson@pharmatimes.com

Karl Equi / executive director
karl.equi@pharmatimes.com  

SALES & MARKETING
Tara Lovegrove / business director
tara.lovegrove@pharmatimes.com

Luci Sargood / business manager
luci.sargood@pharmatimes.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS/REPRINTS
Digital and paper copies available free to qualifying readers: www.pharmatimes.com/subscribe
Tel: 01372 414 222
subscriptions@pharmatimes.com
Paper subscriptions available at £90.00 UK and £100.00 overseas per annum.

Views expressed by the contributors do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, editor or staff.

Material may not be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written permission. © Copyright 2024 PharmaTimes Magazine. All rights reserved. PharmaTimes Magazine is published by PharmaTimes Media Ltd, which is registered as a limited company in England; No 09019637.