Author Archives: Barbara Arzymanow

About Barbara Arzymanow

Barbara Arzymanow is a Research Fellow at 2020health and is a founding director of an independent healthcare consultancy firm. She has been an investment analyst specialising in Pharmaceuticals for 25 years, prior to which she carried out academic medical research in university laboratories. Her experience, obtained entirely from outside the pharmaceutical industry, gives her a unique, political perspective independent of commercial lobbies. She has extensive experience in financing the biotechnology industry, which is vital for the long-term standing of medical research in the UK. She has always been inspired by the scientific excellence within the UK and would like to see collaborations between industry, the NHS and academia strengthened. For more information about Barbara's research and writings including submissions to Government Departments please visit http://www.researchideas.co.uk . Barbara also tweets as @barbararesearch .

How can A&E units improve their performance?

The first point that I must make is that I do not wish to appear unappreciative or condescending. Hospital A&E work is amongst the most important that any person can undertake and many of us would find the strain unbearable. … Continue reading

Posted in A&E, Department of Health, Elderly, GPs, Hospitals, NHS, Patients | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How can A&E units improve their performance?

Hospital inspections: lessons to be learnt

The programme of independent hospital inspections carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was made tougher in September 2013. During the first year to the end of August 2014 under the new arrangements 38 NHS acute trusts (each comprising … Continue reading

Posted in A&E, Department of Health, Health and Wellbeing, Health reform, Hospitals, Local Authorities, NHS, NHS England, NHS reforms, Patient choice, Patients, Quality and Safety, safety, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hospital inspections: lessons to be learnt

Threats to Mankind from Drug Resistant Bacteria and Viruses

The risk of an end to the human race may sound like science fiction. However, there are only a small number of threats that could theoretically lead to the extinction of mankind. The four main concerns that most experts share … Continue reading

Posted in Business, David Cameron, Drugs, Global Health, GPs, International, Most Significant, NHS, Pharma, Public Health, Rare conditions, Research, Vaccination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Threats to Mankind from Drug Resistant Bacteria and Viruses

Are pharmaceutical mega-mergers in the public interest?

The main reason for governments around the world to encourage the pharmaceutical industry is to support Research and Development –  R&D – with a view to the discovery of new drugs of future benefit to mankind. Commercial pharmaceutical companies have played … Continue reading

Posted in Business, competition, Drugs, Innovation, International, Pharma, Policy, Research, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medical advisory body “NICE” should not spend too much time valuing drugs.

The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (“NICE”) is currently holding a public consultation over its proposals for evaluating drugs. Drugs that are approved by NICE automatically become available for doctors to prescribe under the NHS throughout England … Continue reading

Posted in Business, CCGs, Commissioning, Department of Health, Drugs, Elderly, equality, Genetics, GPs, Health and Wellbeing, Health Bill, Health reform, Inequality, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, NHS reforms, Patients, Pharma, Policy, Public Health, Research, Technology, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guest Blogspot: Negotiations with the UK Government over pharmaceutical pricing have achieved a good result for patients, the NHS and the industry.

The UK Government and the pharmaceutical industry shared many objectives throughout the recent drug pricing negotiations. For example, there was always broad agreement that: The total future drug bill needed to be affordable in the context of other spending in … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Lansley, Business, Cancer, Department of Health, Drugs, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, Patients, Pharma, Research, Smoking ban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pharmaceutical companies must be free to determine their own research priorities: Lessons from Alzheimer’s Disease

Guest blog post from Barbara Arzymanow, Independent Healthcare Consultant  Sir David Jack (1924-2011), one of history’s greatest pharmaceutical R&D directors under whom many important drugs were discovered, once told me that neither governments nor companies should overrule senior R&D management. … Continue reading

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Pharmaceutical Industry- Innovation is the only way forward.

The headline news from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) states that more than 1 billion prescription items were dispensed by community pharmacies in England for the first time in 2012. However, we must not be complacent about the serious … Continue reading

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Guest Blogspot: Waiting for Decisions on UK Pharmaceutical Pricing

Little has been heard over how confidential talks between the Government and the pharmaceutical industry are progressing towards the goal of having a new, voluntary UK drug pricing system in place in 2014. In the eyes of the pharmaceutical companies … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Lansley, Business, Children, Commissioning, David Cameron, Department of Health, Drugs, Emerging technologies, equality, Health and Wellbeing, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Guest Blogspot: Prevention is better than cure.

The economic consequences of preventing illness are highly complex. Just comparing the costs of prevention with the direct treatment costs that should be avoided is far too simplistic. The true economic impact of preventative measures can often only be assessed … Continue reading

Posted in Alcohol, Business, Children, Elderly, Health Bill, Healthcare, Information, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, Obesity, Patient choice, Patients, Policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment