Paddington Life Sciences celebrates one year of progress through partnership

Partners from across the NHS, industry and academia came together earlier this week for a series of talks and discussions highlighting the key role of partnership in improving local and global health, as part of the first Paddington Life Sciences annual symposium.

Co-hosted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the event marks one year since launching Paddington Life Sciences Partners – a collaboration bringing together the NHS, industry and academic organisations with a shared commitment to developing a life sciences cluster centred around St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.

Driving growth in life sciences

Attendees heard from Lord Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, via video address, who highlighted the key role of partnerships between the NHS and industry to drive the growth of life sciences in the UK and championed the work being done by Imperial College Healthcare to progress Paddington Life Sciences and support this growth.

He said “The NHS and life sciences sector make crucial contributions to one another that benefit both. Innovation improves outcomes, increases efficiency and offers hope where there was none before. I know how much you’ve done at Imperial College Healthcare and with the partners here in Paddington and I look forward to working with you on this shared endeavour where we can kick the economy, boost our life sciences sector and build an NHS that’s truly fit for the future.”

Discussing the role of the real estate industry in supporting the UK’s ambition as a science superpower, David Marks, chief executive of Brockton Everlast, said that the UK had ‘great bones in place to deliver growth’ and highlighted the history and key elements for a life sciences cluster that already exist to be built upon in Paddington.

The public are key partner

Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, who recently published an independent report into the state of the NHS, highlighted the critical condition of the health system but stated that vital signs were still ‘strong’.

He stressed the key role of life sciences in rebuilding the health system and then went on to outline the important role of the public in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is a cornerstone of the vision for the Fleming Initiative, an innovative and collaborative new approach led by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London to tackle AMR around the world. At the heart of this, The Fleming Centre, will be based at St Mary’s Hospital and form a key part of the Paddington Life Sciences cluster.

Speaking to the symposium, Lord Darzi said: “We need to remember it also takes the public – the end users who we are trying to help, and ultimately, who are the strongest drivers for change. In whatever endeavour we undertake in health, the public are key partners in achieving progress.”

Community involvement is key

Petra Jumpers, vice president for northern Europe and Australia at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, opened the discussions with a view on the company’s ambitions in Paddington and beyond, highlighting a deep commitment to positively impacting local communities and investing in young people as the future of science.

In the final session of the day, a panel of speakers discussed how best to put communities at the heart of these partnerships. The group discussed trust in healthcare services and using data to inform community approaches, as well as the importance of empowering communities to lead this themselves. Alex Weston, from the London-based charity, Listen to Act, provided a perspective on mental health in young people, and talked about how the charity created a young people’s advisory group to help develop research that responds to real unmet needs.

Commenting after the symposium, Dr Suki Balendra, director of strategic partnerships for Paddington Life Sciences, said: “Today’s symposium was a great example of how important it is to regularly come together, discuss and share ideas, and make meaningful connections. I am confident that the outcome of the discussions we’ve heard today will lead to more partnership work in Paddington and beyond that can reduce health inequalities and help bring the benefits of innovation directly to patients.”