Introduction
Over Christmas, I read a book to my 5-year-old son, where Santa's reindeers all fall ill the day before Christmas. Presents are ready. The demand is high. But the system to deliver the presents is broken. The book follows an elf who explores different solutions to the logistical problem of delivering 8 billion presents to 195 countries across a 24-hour period.
It reminded me, loosely, of UK life sciences: companies invest to be on the NICE list, patient demand is high, yet system barriers and slow uptake stop medicines reaching patients who would benefit from them.
Before Christmas, IQVIA UK Principals met to discuss how Go To Market (GTM) roles and structures must evolve to tackle these challenges. What kind of GTM approach can ensure that patients receive the gift of new medicines? This blog summarises the themes from that discussion.
What is changing, what will change, and what are the implications for life sciences?
1. NHS System Challenges, Structural Reforms & Policy Revisions:
The NHS continues to undergo significant transformation. NHS England is being abolished. The initial consolidation of over 100+ Clinical Commissioning Groups into 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) is now giving way to further rationalisation, likely to lead to 25 consolidated ICBs. Operations will be streamlined, with decision-making shifting to sub-ICB levels, such as place-based partnerships and neighbourhood teams.
This decentralisation means that service implementation and funding decisions are becoming more localised, nuanced, and variable across regions.
In parallel, the NHS 10-year health plan, published in 2025, set out a framework to move healthcare forward in the UK. The detail behind the planned changes will continue to evolve over the coming years.
All these changes are within the context of an NHS that is stretched to the limit in terms of capacity and funding.
To navigate this world, GTM teams must:
- Understand local policies and priorities.
- Communicate the impact their innovative products can have within that specific system in language that resonates.
- Uncover local system issues, whether related to guidelines, testing and diagnostics, funding, data connectivity, unwarranted variation, etc.
- Frame and articulate the local ‘Problem Statement’ from an NHS perspective.
- Set up sustainable partnerships at a local level to address these system issues.
- Drive HCP behaviour change.
Implications for life science organisations:
- Develop deep local insight
Equip teams with granular local data and recruit in-field individuals who can both use this data to inform their activities, and who will build on data to uncover the full local picture. Increasingly, this deep local insight is required at the design rather than the implementation of a GTM strategy. - Value-focused storytelling
Organisations need roles that can articulate value in terms that resonate at both ICS and local levels. For example, at the ICS level, communicate contribution to system-wide targets (reducing hospital admissions, improving cancer survival, reducing waiting times, etc.). At the local level, demonstrating solutions to practical problems (freeing-up clinic time, enabling care closer to home, etc.) is key. - Generate local partnerships
GTM strategies can include support programmes or services that help local teams implement change. For instance, if an ICS prioritises moving care into the community, a life sciences organisation might provide nurse training or digital tools to help set up a homecare pathway for its therapy area. Co-creating solutions with local NHS partners (like joint patient awareness campaigns or pathway optimisation projects) positions the company as a valuable ally in system transformation, not just a vendor. - Adopt agile, cross-functional teams:
Internally, life sciences organisations should structure their commercial and medical teams to mirror the NHS’s integrated approach. This could mean assigning cross-functional “account teams” aligned to each major ICS or region. These teams, blending sales, medical, market access, and even health economics expertise, can coordinate strategy for that geography. They should be empowered to make quick decisions and tailor engagement locally. - Health System Literacy
In-field teams should be trained in areas such as NHS funding flows, care pathways, and local governance, so they can have informed conversations with ICS stakeholders. With the ongoing NHS restructuring, a pool of former NHS employees could be a hiring ground for life sciences, as they come equipped with an understanding of how to effectively engage with the system.
2. Changes in HCP Access:
Access to HCPs has become more restricted and needs-driven. Gone are the days when a sales representative could simply walk into a GP’s surgery for an impromptu chat.
For some therapy areas, IQVIA Synmetrics Data1 indicates that up to 70% of GP contacts with industry now happen in structured meetings like sponsored group luncheons.
Additionally, newer healthcare roles (e.g. clinical pharmacists or advanced nurse practitioners) now act as gatekeepers for certain therapies, and relevant stakeholder types for life sciences to engage with may continue to change as the NHS evolves.
HCPs’ engagement is greatest when the timing is right (e.g. around a new guideline or product launch) and the people are right (e.g. speaking to medical advisor for scientific discussions or market access for advanced product notification). ABPI guidelines2 state that the word “new” can only be used to describe products that have been generally available for less than 12 months. This “new” period will be the time that access to HCPs is most fruitful.
Implications for life science organisations:
- Flexible resourcing and coverage
As access dynamics differ vastly by region and specialty, organisations should consider flexible field force deployment focused on when products are newly available per region.
In some areas, it might make sense to reduce full-time headcount but supplemented with on-demand experts or contracted facilitators when opportunities arise (for example, bringing in a specialty nurse to run a workshop on improving injection techniques for a biologic). Conversely, when a new guideline or product launch creates a window of high interest, companies may temporarily boost presence (perhaps via a contract sales organisation, market access resourcing or additional MSL visits) to capitalise on that moment.
In essence, an agile mix of in-house and outsourced resources can help “dial up” or “dial down” effort as local needs dictate. We are seeing trends towards an increased proportion of outsourced headcount, and from the old model of fixed territories and call quotas to a more dynamic deployment of talent. - Prioritise and target smartly
As access is difficult, every interaction needs to count. Companies should use data to focus on the right HCPs, those who treat relevant patients or are influencers in their network. Stakeholders’ needs and constraints must be understood to ensure that they benefit from their time engaging with life sciences personnel. - Lead with scientific and educational value:
Engagements should be orchestrated to inform and support, not just promote. HCPs are increasingly using ChatGPT and other LLM Engines as a channel to find scientific information. However, in-person interactions provide an authenticity that will always be missing from AI, provided that such interactions are informative, helping HCPs to turn information into decisions.
This has implications for how medical and commercial teams can collaborate to provide this kind of interaction, and robust governance processes should be put in place to facilitate this collaboration.
Organisations should consider roles that, within the bounds of compliance, combine aspects of medical and commercial, such they can have an on-licence, educational and scientific exchange.
3. Digital Transformation & HCP Expectations:
Digital engagement surged post‑COVID. In UK primary care, ChannelDynamics data indicates that ~30% of interactions are now via digital channels (versus ~3% pre-2020)3.
Importantly, HCPs have come to expect a more seamless, personalised experience, in part due to their interactions with other industries (think of how we bank or shop online). Industry engagement should be able to address the current needs of the physician, through the channel most convenient for them. This is a driver to integrate marketing and sales efforts more tightly and to take a data driven approach to engagement.
Successful companies are harnessing data from all these channels to get a 360° view of HCP engagement. Where data can be connected at an HCP level, AI can facilitate dynamic profiling and segmentation efficiently.
Implications for life sciences organisations:
- Consider roles and technology needed to provide an excellent HCP experience
An oncologist’s journey around a new oncology drug might involve an initial email with key study results, followed by a rep’s in-person visit to discuss where it fits in treatment pathways, then an invite to a live webinar with a leading specialist, and later a servicing call by a medical advisor to answer any complex questions. Who will ensure that these connection points are coordinated?
Head office roles specifically to ensure an excellent experience across channels for KOLs could be considered, or local “orchestrator” roles, working closely with field teams in a particular region, can help to implement an engagement strategy that fits priorities of local areas and the needs of local HCPs. - Consider specific digital teams to supplement in-field activity
In today’s world, all in-field roles are “hybrid” to a degree. However, specific capabilities and mindsets are required to drive excellent digital activity.
Given the numbers of rejections on the way to a successful digital call, resilience is key.
Moreover, many individuals with in-field roles gain energy from the in-person interactions. Finding those that can stay motivated without F2F engagement is vital.
There are, however, high calibre personnel who fit the bill. Sometimes these are graduates new to industry, used to operating predominantly in the digital world, and with fresh ideas. Sometimes they are individuals with a wealth of experience with in-field roles, but for whom family priorities mean they want to avoid extensive travel.
Summary
In essence, UK life science companies must adapt to a new reality. An NHS moving towards an integrated model focused on solving local needs; HCP engagement rules rewritten by access limits and digital channels; and a demand that organisations bring true value to healthcare partners, not just drugs. These drivers have set the stage for significant internal changes in how organisations structure their customer-facing roles and teams.
2. https://www.pmcpa.org.uk/media/r0anf5ya/2024-abpi-code.pdf#page=18