COVID-19, ABHI & the Role of the Board: Reflections from ABHI’s Chair & Vice Chair
“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.”
When we published our respective “COVID-19 Impact” blogs back in April, which seems like a lifetime ago now, we both opted to highlight this quote from Her Majesty’s address to the nation. The words, simple yet powerful, perfectly captured the spirit of this extraordinary situation we have all found ourselves in.
Whether you are a family-owned UK SME, or an international business operating in over 150 countries, COVID-19’s impact has been felt by all. And when you are in business of health, that impact is particularly acute. It is, without question, unlike anything we have experienced before.
Writing this blog on behalf of two companies at either end of the size scale, we both feel an enormous sense of pride in the way the HealthTech industry at large has responded to the crisis, and we are grateful, and equally proud, of the pivotal role that ABHI has played in that response.
As you can imagine, as Chair and Vice Chair of the Association, we have been particularly close to ABHI’s work in recent months, and what is pleasing to see is the way in which every single member company has been given the same resources. Questions have been dealt with swiftly, which has been a massive help, and where frankly, would have seen us left scrambling otherwise.
The team have provided sensible, practical guidance, which is credit to their knowledge and skill. A no nonsense approach was needed, and this is what ABHI delivered. Flying the flag for the sector, information has been accurate and timely, with colleagues working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure members can supply products safely into the NHS and where they were needed most.
By early May, more all-member communications had been issued than throughout the whole of 2019, with ABHI’s website seeing 41,000 visitors between the months of April, May and June: a sizeable jump from the 23,000 for the same period in 2019.
Throughout this, the Board has remained tight and effective, but in a style that is very relaxed. As a cohort of industry leaders, some with broad European roles, others managing UK business functions, all have been busier than they have ever been. The fact that diaries have been flexed at a moment’s notice to join weekly calls is testament to how much we all value this Trade Association, and the benefits that stem from its membership. Calls have remained upbeat, with everyone looking out for each other. There has been an incredible sense of cross-industry camaraderie I don’t think any of us have experienced in our professional lives.
The role of the Board is to guide the organisation, and we have intentionally gone about building the capability as to what we need, and just as important, do not need. That strategy has proven the right one and that investment in resources and people shows. In the midst of the worst crisis to hit the NHS in its 72 year history, the fact that ABHI has been able to establish weekly calls with the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS England and NHS Supply Chain, speaks volumes. A Trade Association does not simply arrive at this point. This is the result of years of sustained work from the secretariat and an engaged Board of Directors steering the ship.
In the space of a few months, the conversation around HealthTech has moved on to another level. PPE and ventilators are household names, the public talk about diagnostics with a much greater understanding, and digital advancements are being built out of necessity before our eyes. It was a shrewd move for ABHI to start talking about HealthTech two years ago, and both of us were pleased to have been involved in the steering group that led this refreshed focus. The decision of ABHI to enable a strong digital platform, to develop working groups that focused on therapy areas, rather than just products, and a single-minded commitment to value over price, are all important steps. Its capabilities in diagnostics are critical too, and we will continue to invest in this area.
For our own businesses, COVID-19 has seen the rulebook ripped up and thrown out of the window; offices and job roles repurposed, with team meetings and Friday get-togethers conducted through a screen. All of this is a catalyst to think differently. In fact, we must rethink everything, and so must the NHS. Embracing technology will be key.
The pandemic has seen a significant shift by the NHS. It has demonstrated an incredible flexibility, and willingness to change, allowing us to consider new business models to tackle the crisis much more quickly. Long-term, we all have a duty to make the most of this for patients and, fundamentally, for the sustainability of our health service.
Maintaining that balance between collaborator and challenger with government and the NHS is always a delicate and nuanced act, but now, more than ever, ABHI will have to call upon its relationships to help accelerate the recovery process.
The coming months and years will be tough. We cannot sugar-coat this. But as a Board, we stand ready to support and guide the ABHI team in all its activities, and as an industry, it is our duty to rise to the challenges when called upon. HealthTech got us through this crisis, and it will be your technologies that will rebuild this new world we find ourselves in.
As Chair and Vice Chair of this Association, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, we thank you for the support you continue to show us.
Article co-authored by Phil Kennedy, Managing Director, Eschmann Technologies & Chair, ABHI and Jackie Fielding, Vice President UK & Ireland, Medtronic Ltd & Vice Chair, ABHI