Posts by Scott McKenzie
“Absolutely Terrifying”: What the NHS Funding Overhaul Means for Pharma, Medtech and Device Companies
When the chief executive of NHS England stands up at the King’s Fund conference and says the financial changes now under way are “absolutely terrifying”, it’s worth paying attention. Because Sir Jim Mackey wasn’t being dramatic. He was being honest. He described something most in the system haven’t yet grasped – the NHS is changing…
Read MoreWhy NHS Engagement Fails: Talking To The Right Organisations But The Wrong People
Most pharmaceutical, medtech and device companies that come to speak with me are doing something right. They’ve mapped the system. They know which Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) matter. They’ve identified the right Trusts, PCNs, federations or provider collaboratives. They’ve booked meetings, delivered presentations and had what feel like positive conversations. And yet … nothing moves. When we unpack what’s really happening, the issue is rarely the product, the evidence or even the organisation being targeted. Read my…
Read MoreEmbedding a Digital Therapeutic into NHS Primary Care: An HSJ-Shortlisted Case Study
I’ve recently had a piece of work shortlisted for Best Consultancy Partnership with the NHS at the 2026 HSJ Partnership Awards. That recognition matters – but not for the trophy. It matters because this project tackles a question many people inside and outside the NHS are still wrestling with: How do you embed innovation into…
Read MoreAdvice and Guidance: The Next Phase Of NHS Elective Transformation, From Initiative To Expectation
When I first wrote about Advice and Guidance (A&G) earlier this year, it was clear something significant was happening beneath the surface of NHS elective recovery. The idea that a GP could get specialist advice digitally before referring a patient was quietly reshaping care. It promised quicker decisions, reduced waiting lists and fewer unnecessary outpatient…
Read MoreThe Real Mythbuster: Why Saying “No” to Higher Drug Prices Won’t Fix The NHS/Pharma Relationship
I’ve just read a very interesting article in the Health Service Journal entitled: The mythbuster: Just say ‘no’ to demands for higher drug prices (registration required to read full piece). Author Steve Black opens with a comparison between pharmaceutical patents and copyright extensions in the entertainment industry, arguing that both primarily enrich large corporations rather…
Read MorePodcast launching soon – Embedded Conversations
Over the years, I’ve had hundreds of conversations with people on the front line of healthcare and industry people trying to do the right thing in a system that doesn’t always make that easy. Their stories have stayed with me. They’re not just insightful – they’re inspiring, grounding and often quietly revolutionary. That’s what led…
Read MoreTariff Tinkering Won’t Save The NHS – But Financial Literacy Just Might
Roy Lilley was right on the money with his take on Wes Streeting’s latest comments about the cost of operations and the dreaded “doom loop.” Lilley rightly points out that hospitals are not supermarkets and comparing the costs of one Trust with another is like “comparing bananas with cucumbers”. Streeting’s idea of benchmarking Trusts against…
Read MoreWhat The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework Means for Pharma, Medtech and Device Companies
The Medium Term Planning Framework – Delivering Change Together, 2026/27 to 2028/29 marks another pivotal moment in the transformation of the NHS. It sits firmly within the trajectory established by the NHS 10-Year Health Plan and the New Operating Model for Health and Care. Taken together, these documents form the architecture for an NHS moving…
Read MoreIf I Were On The Board Of An NHS Provider, Here Are Three Questions I Would Be Asking
The NHS has never been under more financial, operational and workforce pressure. Providers are expected to deliver more care, more quickly, with fewer resources. Waiting lists are stubbornly high, staff morale is low and deficits are growing. National policy talks of “recovery” and “productivity gains,” but at the level of individual providers, the reality is…
Read MoreAdvice And Guidance (A&G) – What Are The Opportunities For Pharma?
Advice and Guidance (A&G) is fast becoming one of the most important levers in NHS elective recovery. By allowing GPs to seek specialist advice before making a referral, through platforms such as e-RS or Consultant Connect, it helps patients get quicker answers, reduces unnecessary GP and outpatient appointments and frees up capacity. Ministers claim more…
Read More