14 | Pf | NOV 2014

Pharma companies need to recruit, train and retain the very best people. We take a look at Achiive’s training methods with Managing Director

develop and sustain successful salespeople that don’t just survive – they thrive.

What are your training methods?We provide a number of cutting edge experiential learning and development simulations using iPad technology to promote lasting behavioural change and capability building.

Using skills competency based frameworks we create detailed bespoke case studies that refl ect the real world and the challenges faced. We use a series of hands on role-play based simulations to drive behavioural change against observable behaviours.

What type of skills do people need in order to thrive?Th ere are some fundamental skills you just can’t do without to stay ahead in business. You’ll always benefi t from having a solid grounding in a combination of skills such as face-to-face selling and infl uencing skills, positive attitude and a CEO mindset to harness change.

Is it important to have a good blend of characters?A company is only as valuable as its assets, and no assets are more valuable than the people that work for you and their unique characteristics. Th e decisions that people make aff ect the success, growth and development of your business. A team made up of several diff erent compatible personalities that complement one another can be more productive than a team made up of those who are so similar they cannot work productively together. Diff erent personality characteristics can help motivate one another and drive team success, morale, productivity, problem solving and creativity

Can people apply their own style to the job?Yes, diff erent people naturally prefer

a certain communication style. Understanding your personal style of communicating will go a long way toward helping you to create lasting impressions on others. By becoming more aware of how others perceive you, you can become more fl exible and adapt more readily to other styles of communicating.

Furthermore, everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all types of learning styles to one extent or another. It’s a matter of using emphasis that fi ts best with the given situation and a person’s learning style preferences.

How do you keep a record of an individual’s performance?Setting clear objectives with eff ective measures can improve employee performance by over 24%. It’s diffi cult for organisations to have eff ective measures in place unless they monitor employee performance against the objectives.

We use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods: evaluating performance against skill competencies and observable behaviours, tracking change over time and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs). All of this information is added to personal development plans with recommendations and actions for ongoing performance improvement.

What is the key to sustaining good performance?For good performance to be sustained, you need to really understand what the key drivers for the top performers are. Presenting a compelling future is crucial to sustaining good performance. Outlook and attitude are also critical elements associated with sustained optimal performance.

Th ere are a number of other learning and development methods that can be implemented to help sustain performance, such as:

Continuous tracking and regular assessment of performanceEnsuring that plans are implemented, measured and monitoredRecognition, reward and acknowledgement of individual needs and desires.

Does the evaluation process motivate staff to keep excelling?Yes it certainly does; you can buy people’s time and their physical presence, but you cannot buy the motivation of their hearts, minds, or souls. You must earn these through keeping your employees motivated. Th e evaluation process gives employees a sense of purpose and a sincere feeling that you value their wellbeing. Providing people with insight and personal responsibility for development is highly motivating.

What sorts of results have you seen from performance monitoring?Th e results we have seen have been extraordinary. Especially when we see highly experienced people demonstrating measurable change that has a direct link to sales growth. In some cases our simulation has shown a direct link between our training and patient outcomes. We have also seen that through continued performance monitoring, overall productivity has increased from 11-24% tracked via sales and KPIs.

Learning to thrive

COMPANY

22 | Pf | NOV 2014

There are currently around 3.8

million people in the UK with

diabetes, and this fi gure is

expected to rise to fi ve million by

2025. Make no mistake, type 2

diabetes is an epidemic on a global scale.

Th e NHS spends £13.8 billion a year

treating people with the condition, the

equivalent of £25,000 a minute. It costs

between £300 and £370-a-year, per patient, to

treat and monitor diabetes, but when a patient

is admitted to hospital with complications,

this fi gure can leap to between £1,800 and

£2,500.

Th ere is great hope on the horizon, however,

for suff erers of both type 1 and type 2

diabetes. With news of a possible cure for

Type 1, and a radical diet and exercise regime,

which is reported to be able to ‘cure’ Type 2

diabetes, the tide could be turning.

Ignorance not blissDiabetes is responsible for 24,000 premature

deaths in England and Wales every year.

According to a recent report, many British

people, at risk of developing type 2 diabetes,

are in denial and fail to report their symptoms

to the doctor, putting their long-term health

in serious jeopardy.

So-called pre-diabetes could be threatening

the health of more than 630,000 people in

the UK, who don’t realise they might have

type 2 diabetes, according to research from

the Simplyhealth Advisory Research Panel

(ShARP).

If left undetected and untreated, diabetes

can dramatically increase the chances of major

complications. Dr Gill Jenkins, from ShARP,

says: “If you ignore diabetes it doesn’t go away.

It damages blood vessels, destroys sight and

undermines almost every aspect of your health

until one day there is a crisis and it becomes

impossible to ignore.”

Th e ShARP study involved 2,000 Britons

aged 18-70, and found that almost half

(49%) were already displaying one or more of

the symptoms of diabetes - excessive thirst,

frequent urination, tiredness, dry mouth.

Dr Jenkins says: “A shocking number of

people are in this position and sleepwalking

towards serious health problems. It is

particularly important to be aware of your

risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially if

you’re overweight, or you have a family history

of diabetes.”

When it comes to diabetes, ignorance is not

bliss. It is potentially deadly,” he adds.

A time to dietOf the entire NHS drugs bill, 10% goes on

diabetes medicines. Regular health checks

and awareness of potential warning signs

can help to reduce hospital admissions and

complications for type 2 diabetes patients

– but there is another solution that could

miraculously ‘cure’ diabetes in those already

suff ering from the condition.

A 2011 Newcastle University research

trial led by Professor Roy Taylor suggested

that type 2 diabetes could be reversed

by following a strict 600-calorie diet for

eight weeks. Th e trial authors stated that

type 2 diabetes ‘is regarded as inevitably

progressive’, but successfully tested their

theory that the condition can be reversed by

What is Type 1 diabetes? Around 10% of all diabetes is type 1 (aka insulin-dependent diabetes),

but it is the most common type of childhood diabetes, aff ecting

29,000 youngsters in Britain. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the cells

which make insulin are destroyed and the pancreas is unable to make

insulin, which regulates blood glucose levels. People with type 1

diabetes have to rely on regular insulin injections.

What is Type 2 diabetes? Between 85% and 95% of all diabetes is Type 2. It usually

occurs after the age of 40. However, because of rising obesity

levels more children and young people are being diagnosed.

Treatment varies depending on the severity of the diabetes.

In some cases diet and exercise alone will resolve the issue, in

others insulin is required.

FEATURE

Do or

Although the increase in cases of diabetes is a major crisis for the NHS, for those who are prepared to change, there is hope on the horizon

In January 2014, Fritz Dittman, 47,

started experiencing symptoms of diabetes,

including extreme thirst and frequent

urination. At this time he was consuming

a large amount of sweet drinks and energy

drinks, which have a very high sugar

content. When he visited the doctor in April,

he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He

was put on medication in April, but stopped

taking it in May.

Fritz completely changed his diet, and

started running 3km every other day,

whereas before he wouldn’t get much

exercise, apart from walking the dog and

taking his daughter to school. He rode

his bicycle every weekend to train for the

Normandy ride in May; 300km in 3 days.

In August 2013, Fritz weighed 19.5 stone,

and since becoming more active has gone

down to a healthier 16.8 stone, dropping

his metabolic age from 61 years to 35

years.

When checking his blood sugar levels

after this change in lifestyle, he realised

that they were within a healthy range

and stopped taking his medication. Fritz

believes that this was an acute attack of

diabetes which was cured by watching

his diet and taking up a more active

lifestyle. He still checks his blood sugar levels

every day. In September, Fritz successfully

completed a 2000km ride from Marseille to

Munich via Vienna over the Alps, and lost

another 5kg.

“Living a healthier lifestyle by losing

weight and exercising has reduced my blood

sugar levels,” says Fritz. “Th e alternative

is too awful to contemplate - blindness,

hearing loss, heart disease and loss of limbs.

Diabetes has been a wakeup call, and I now

have to take it seriously. Fortunately, I have

managed, by changing my lifestyle in order

to remain off the medication!”

AUTHOR

Pf | NOV 2014 | 23

a calorie controlled diet, accompanied by a

large helping of will power. Seven out of 11

patients with the condition were cured after

cutting their food intake.

Guardian journalist and type 2 diabetes

patient Richard Doughty tested the diet for

himself. After 11 days, his diabetes ‘resolved

itself’. He reported that others, in both the

UK and the US, had experienced the same

result while on the diet.

Some people are still unconvinced that

this proactive approach to diet and exercise

can actually beat the condition - 13% in

the ShARP poll were sceptical that diet

and exercise can reduce the risk, but studies

clearly show that over a ten year period, every

kilogram of weight lost cuts the risk by a

third.

Cure not killType 2 diabetes is always fi lling newspaper

columns, while less is said about Type 1. Th at

changed recently, as news of a study, which

may have found a ‘cure’ for Type 1 rolled off

the press.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune

condition where the body’s immune system

destroys the insulin-producing cells of

the pancreas. Th ere is currently no readily

available ‘cure’ for type 1 diabetes and no

way to replace these cells, meaning that

the patient must rely on lifelong insulin

injections.

A Harvard University study aimed to

see if it would be possible to develop these

insulin-producing cells from laboratory-

based stem cells. Th e researchers successfully

produced large numbers of functioning

stem cell-derived cells, which appeared to

be structurally similar to normal pancreatic

cells, and produced insulin in response to

glucose in the same way.

Th e cells functioned both in the laboratory

and also when transplanted into live mice,

including mice that had been genetically

engineered to have diabetes.

Although the research fi ndings are

positive, it is still early stages and further

development will be needed to establish if the

cells could successfully function in humans

with type 1 diabetes.

Arjun Panesar, director of Diabetes.co.uk,

says that the research could lead to further

type 1 diabetes treatments: “It’s a fantastic

breakthrough for type 1 diabetes. Th is does

not, however, provide a cure, as the body’s

immune system would still kill the beta cells

secreting insulin.

“It makes some forms of new type

1 diabetes treatments possible, such as

encapsulation, something we are quite

excited about, and that could become real

with the help of the Harvard breakthrough.

Th is is an implant of islet cells, which have

a protective layer that stops the islet cells

getting attacked by the body.”

Th e Type 1 diabetes charity, JDRF, is

currently researching this concept. Arjun

adds: “If the progression of the Harvard

breakthrough leads to islet cells being

produced in the lab and encapsulated, people

with type 1 diabetes could have an implant

and not need to take insulin and perhaps

not even need to test their blood. Now that’s

exciting!”

Helping handTh ere is support available for people suff ering

from diabetes, centred around education and

patient empowerment. Arjun says: “If we

are able to educate people in regard to diet,

activity and lifestyle, it would signifi cantly

help in reducing the burden on the NHS. In a

survey recently conducted on the

Diabetes.co.uk forum, 55% improved their

diet choices as a result of being a member of

the forum. We need to start with education

if we are to change the overall health of the

population.”

Type 2 myths busted

I can’t get diabetes if I don’t eat sugarWhile sugar consumption has fallen by

6% in the past decade, in that period

the number of people with diabetes has

actually increased by 61%.

Only older people get diabetesType 2 diabetes can occur at any age. It

aff ects around 500 children in the UK,

while another 2,000 children and young

people are estimated to be undiagnosed.

Only overweight people get diabetesAround 20% of people with type 2

diabetes are of a normal weight, or

underweight.

Fritz stops the cycle and starts to pedal

Jo Underhill, Sales & Marketing Director, Urology, describes the Astellas ethos, its achievements, and how the company attracts and supports the best people

How would you describe your company ethos/philosophy?Changing tomorrow is our company ethos –

our dedication to discovering and producing

innovative, reliable medicines that create a

brighter future for patients in disease areas

where there is great unmet medical need.

What are your company strengths?Astellas has achieved global category

leadership in the areas of transplantation and

urology, and we are now working to achieve

this status in oncology too. In the UK over

50% of our business is delivered through

the Urology portfolio, with Transplant and

Oncology making the balance.

Where are your commercial operations based?Astellas Pharma Ltd (APL) is based in

Chertsey, Surrey, UK. Astellas Pharma

EMEA (also known as Astellas Pharma

Europe Ltd) is responsible for the business

across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Th e company employs around 4500 people

and is established in 40 countries across

the region, overseeing a major research

and development (R&D) centre in the

Netherlands and three manufacturing plants.

What are your therapeutic specialties?In EMEA, APEL is currently focused on six

therapeutic areas as a priority for improving the

health of people in Europe: transplantation,

urology, oncology, anti-infectives, pain

management and dermatology. Local

investment and emphasis varies depending on

the needs of the patients in that country.

What are your key products?BETMIGATM, XTANDITM, ADVAGRAFTM,

DIFICLIRTM, QUTENZATM, VESOMNITM.

What makes Astellas a great place to work?For Astellas, people are at the heart of

everything we do. Our vision is simple – to

produce medicines that change tomorrow

for patients in need. Above all, our entire

approach is built around the needs of the

people and communities we support.

How do you attract and retain the best employees?Astellas is committed to being an employer

of choice, attracting the industry’s top

talent and nurturing a work environment

that enables employees to fl ourish and

achieve their highest potential. Th is

means ensuring the people who work at

Astellas is a progressive and fast-growing company founded in 2005 through the merger of Yamanouchi and Fujisawa - combining nearly two centuries of collective experience in producing innovative and reliable medicines. Astellas means ‘shining light on tomorrow’ and that encapsulates the company’s vision, bringing future hope to patients.

24 | Pf | NOV 2014

Astellas: Changing tomorrow

COMPANY

Astellas receive outstanding support and

opportunities across all aspects of working

life.

How do you keep your staff motivated?At Astellas, we believe it’s about creating an

environment where people really do matter

and their contribution is recognised and

rewarded, and it’s about creating a culture

that allows people to be themselves, to

be authentic and feel they are personally

making a diff erence and utilising their

skills.

What have been the major company milestones over the last fi ve years?Astellas are really proud of the PMEA

nominations for Pharmaceutical Company

of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In

2010 we won company of the year with

our engaging 2 year goal – 100 Million

by 2010. In November 2013 we were

announced Pharmaceutical Company of

the Year at the international SCRIP Awards

recognising outstanding achievement by a

pharma company, including commercial

successes and pipeline development.

What does your future product pipeline look like? Our robust pipeline results from in-house

drug discovery and development combined

with in-licensing/collaborations with other

research organisations with complementary

capabilities. In 2013/14, 18% of global

sales were invested in R&D, contributing

to a diverse pipeline with balanced early/

late-stage assets. EMEA launched three

new treatments in 2013 (XTANDITM,

BETMIGATM and VESOMNITM) and

anticipates that a further seven new

treatments will launch in Europe over the

next fi ve years.

What sets Astellas apart from other pharmaceutical companies?In our opinion, it is our brands, our values

and most importantly our people. On the

sales side, our success is being driven by our

new products, particularly XTANDITM and

BETMIGATM. Our core values are STAR:

Success driven, Team orientated, Adaptable

and Respectful. We believe it is vital to recruit

employees whose values fi t with our own.

We create a work environment where our

people believe they make a diff erence. We are

committed to providing our employees an

opportunity to make their mark.

Astellas’ account managers, executives and

representatives have the dual role of forging

close ties with doctors and other healthcare

professionals through visits to hospitals and

clinics, and providing accurate information

on drugs to medical professionals and payers.

Every representative is not only

meticulously informed on the details of

their pharmaceutical products, but is also

possessed of high-level specialist knowledge

of competitors’ drugs in the same category

and comprehensively knowledgeable of

target diseases. Th ey also gather valuable

feedback from medical staff on the effi cacy

and safety of Astellas’ drugs, data which is

used to inform the research and development

process to produce ever safer and more

eff ective drugs.

All Astellas’ representatives are committed

to continually raising standards and helping to

meet patients’ needs through close collaborative

working with healthcare professionals.

What do Astellas’ employees think?One of the most reliable benchmarks of

a company’s success is what its employees

think of their role and the company they

work for. If you have a satisfi ed workforce,

you have employee engagement, loyalty,

a willingness to work hard, and a low

staff turnover. Th e Pf Survey benchmarks

employee satisfaction, and in 2014,

Astellas’ employees described what it is

like to work for this forward-thinking

company. One summed it up perfectly:

“I have been given the utmost respect,

clear instructions as to my role, worked in

tandem with employees across all areas and

enjoyed it immensely. My manager displays

the right amount of supportive guidance

and just letting me get on with it. I feel

secure, valued and part of the team”

Pf | NOV 2014 | 25

According to the 2014 Pf Survey, the overwhelming

feel motivated to stay with the company due to their belief in its strong products:

Employee satisfaction with belief in present products: 94%Employees who want to stay with the company or move position within the company: 89%

NPR

1413

5UK

The recent conference season saw the main political parties falling over themselves to promise us lots of sweets, treats and hip hop beatz if we vote for them. Inevitably healthcare will prove the most seductive tune for voters wanting to try new moves.

26 | Pf | NOV 2014

Hard to swallow?

COVER

RED ARROW

FUNDING Th e Conservatives promised a

real-terms increase in funding over the fi ve

years of the next parliament, but are being

evasive about how much above infl ation this

would be.

ACCESS TO GPs Th e Conservatives’

headline pledge is that patients will be

able to access a GP from 8am to 8pm,

seven days a week, by 2020, backed by a

commitment to tackle the GP recruitment

crisis, and train 5,000 more GPs. Quite

how this will be paid for has current GPs -

groaning under the strain of overstretched

daily surgery - scratching their heads.

DRUGS Th e UK’s fi rst ever Life Sciences

Minister and, indeed, friend of Pf, George

Freeman, has pledged to ensure that,

“NHS patients have access to eff ective

medicines on terms that represent value

to the NHS and taxpayers”. He aims to

do this by delivering a programme of

cultural change through joint working,

between the NHS and industry [Change the record!]. NHS England, meanwhile,

has pledged a £160m boost over two years

for the Cancer Drugs Fund, giving more

patients access to innovative treatment,

which hasn’t been routinely available on

the NHS.

DATA When he was appointed Health

Secretary, Jeremy Hunt declared it

his personal mission to have a ‘data

revolution’ in the NHS, and the lesser-

spotted ‘care.data’ scheme, due to be

rolled out soon (allegedly), was delayed in

order to give voters the chance to better

understand how their data will be used.

It has, however, been reported that many

members of the public are still unaware

of the scheme and opposition MPs

have been pointing and laughing at the

frequent movement of ‘implementation

day’. At the party’s annual conference,

Hunt reaffi rmed the Tories’ commitment

to pharmacists being allowed access to

patients’ records, with the consent of

patients. Minister for Pharmacy, Earl

Howe, also acknowledged the importance

of including pharmacy in the integration

agenda, as part of multi-disciplinary

working in the healthcare mix.

CLINICAL TRIALS Th e European

Clinical Trials Directive (CTD) poses a

barrier to the conducting of clinical trials in

the European Union, while the regulatory

and governance landscape in the UK can pose

further bureaucracy. According to the most

recent report on clinical trials, from the House

of Commons Science and Technology Select

Commitee, the Government has so far failed

to eliminate the requirement for numerous,

and potentially duplicate, governance

approvals from participating NHS

organisations. Th is is the biggest obstacle to

clinical trials in the UK, and although the

government’s relaunch of the ‘UK Clinical

Trials Gateway’ sought to keep the public

informed of research opportunities, this has

only been partially successful.

COMPETITION Jeremy Hunt’s

conference speech quietly commended the

benefi ts of private sector involvement in

the NHS, elegantly sidestepping the issue:

“We must not stop new ideas that come

from outside the NHS – whether from

charities or, yes, the independent sector.

Secure NHS funding backed by a strong

economy is the foundation”.

INTEGRATED CARE Jeremy Hunt

called for the integration of health and

social care systems in his conference

speech, citing that from next April, 150

local authority areas will be working

together with their local NHS on

Better Care plans, leading to pool

commissioning, reduce emergency

admissions and share medical records. It

has to be said Hunt is a quietly confi dent

Health Secretary these days, and it’s

starting to show.

FUNDING Branded as plain old ‘deceit’

and ‘hypocritical posturing’ by the coalition,

Labour’s headline-grabbing promise to create

a £2.5bn ‘Time To Care Fund’, won’t be

implemented until 2017/18 – much longer

than expected. It is not currently obvious

if this fund will be established, on top of a

real-terms NHS funding increase, as Labour

is currently keeping their overall spending

plans a secret.

ACCESS TO GPs Promises, such as

guaranteeing every patient will be able to

secure a GP appointment within 48 hours,

were greeted with derision by the Tories

(not to mention GPs and their battle worn

receptionists).

DRUGS Labour wants to see a more

preventative, ‘non-medical’ approach to

healthcare. Th e party’s vision is to enable

people to stay healthy in their homes

for longer, through prevention and early

intervention.

DATA Shadow health secretary Andy

Burnham has poured scorn on delays to

Jeremy Hunt’s care.data scheme, calling it a

“masterclass in incompetence”, and accusing

him of presiding over, “a spectacular collapse

in confi dence in the use of patient data”.

While they’re pulling faces at the tories,

however, it’s not immediately obvious how

Labour plans to handle patient data.

CLINICAL TRIALS Glenis Willmott,

MEP for the Labour party, has steered

draft legislation through the European

Parliament, allowing pharmaceutical

companies and academic researchers post

the results of clinical trials, undertaken in

Europe, on a publicly accessible database.

She said: “Th is will make trials more

transparent, give hope to patients needing

new and better treatments, and boost the

number of skilled research jobs in Europe”.

COMPETITION In their ‘Health and

Care Final Policy Document’, Labour began

by slapping a big proprietorial hand on the

broad shoulder of the NHS. “Th e NHS is

the Labour Party’s greatest achievement”,

they proudly announced. Shame the Tories

have wrecked it with their “agenda of ever

greater privatisation and fragmentation”,

they added. Labour has long made clear their

intention to repeal the unpopular Health

and Social Care Act of 2012, specifi cally

‘Part 3’ which is all about competition’s

place in the health service. Andy Burnham

has pledged to reduce the amount of cash

that foundation trusts can rake in from

outside sources, cementing his belief that the

NHS must always be the preferred service

provider. He also envisages a future where

the health watchdog, Monitor, will take

on a new role to promote integrated care,

while keeping a watchful eye on local health

economies to ensure their sustainability.

Pf | NOV 2014 | 27

BLUE VELVET

Labour’s last tango

Tories second swing

AUTHOR

INTEGRATED CARE ‘We can fi x the

broken NHS’, cried Andy Burnham and his

acolytes! It’s a vision of grand proportions

– it’s about ‘One Nation’ now, where

collaboration and integration, collaborate

and integrate. It’s about creating a place

where patients aren’t simply seen as the

problem, with an annoying set of issues, but

as a whole person whose physical, mental

and social needs are all taken into account

when a GP makes an assessment. Let’s all

have a group hug.

FUNDING All parties pledged to increase

NHS funding from their magic hat of cash,

but the Lib Dems – for what it’s worth - off ered

the clearest commitment to this yet. Th ey

acknowledged that the immediate fi nancial

pressures, faced by a skint NHS, are really quite

serious, therefore, in common with the Tories,

they promise a real-terms increase in NHS

funding of an extra £1 billion in 2016/17 and

2017/18.

ACCESS TO GPs Th e Lib Dems are

committed to GP surgeries being open in the

evenings and weekends, encouraging practices

to work together in federations. As with the

Tory promise of greater access to GP services

(copycats!), healthcare professionals are left

wondering how on earth this will become

reality.

DRUGS Th eir pre-manifesto manifesto states

that the Lib Dems are great believers in the

‘prevention is better than cure’ stance: “We must

do more to prevent illness and disease, instead of

just treating problems when they arise”.

DATA Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert

has praised the “benefi ts” of Hunt’s care.data

programme, but added that the data was “hard

to anonymise”, which risked public confi dence

in the system. Lib Dems state that the user

should control their own data, and always have

the opportunity to opt out of data-sharing.

CLINICAL TRIALS More investment

in drugs R&D is on the menu, with the

party pledging to, “invest in research and set

ambitious goals to improve outcomes for the

most serious life-threatening diseases, like cancer

and long-term conditions, like dementia”.

COMPETITION Th e Lib Dems state that

NHS mergers will no longer come under the

jurisdiction of the Competition and Markets

Authority, and commissioners will not have to

put all services out to tender.

INTEGRATED CARE Th e Lib Dems have

outlined plans to jointly commission a range

of local services, by extending integrated

care to other public services through ‘Better

Outcomes Boards’. In common with Labour,

the Lib Dems want to strengthen the role

of health and wellbeing boards, meaning

that they could commission GP services.

Minister of State for Care and Support,

Norman Lamb, stated that he would like

to see all health and social care funding

brought together in one big melting pot by

2018, although this is not yet offi cial policy.

FUNDING UKIP promises to keep the

NHS free to all, while redirecting cash

to frontline services. Th e party points

out that Labour’s support of Private

Finance Initiatives will have cost the NHS

£300bn by the time they have run their

course, and that this money could have

transformed the NHS. Which is all well

and good, but accusations don’t pay the

bills do they? And exactly how UKIP

would change things is somewhat fuzzy.

Meanwhile, those immigrants are at it

again, bringing their ‘health tourism’ over

here and draining our already drained

resources. Under Farage, they’ll be forced

to take out health insurance, as part of

visa requirements, and the money saved

from this gatekeeping activity will see

hospital parking charges abolished. In

your face, multi-culture!

ACCESS TO GPs Rebutting Labour’s

claims that UKIP will charge patients

to visit their GPs, UKIP’s healthcare

spokesperson, Lousise Bours stated:

‘UKIP will ensure the NHS remains free

at the point of delivery and need. A two

tier national health system, where those

with money can opt to pay for enhanced

services will never be acceptable.’ Bours

is proudly pushing those political bully

boys out of the way and “standing up for

the NHS”, but the fi ghting talk doesn’t

stop there. Labour has been playing dirty,

according to Ms Bours, by accusing UKIP

of seeking wholesale privatisation of the

health service, and smoking behind the

bike sheds. UKIP’s defence has been

conspicuous by the absence of Tory-based

attacks, making the possibility of a new

blue and mauve coalition as terrifying as

the colour scheme.

DRUGS From a 2010 UKIP policy

statement: “A UKIP Government will

allow any doctor or ‘herbal and traditional

medicine practitioner’ to prescribe herbal

medicines.” Weird. Th ere’s no concrete

news, yet, on whether this still stands as

part of their 2015 manifesto.

DATA “UKIP opposes the sale of NHS

data to third parties.” Er…that’s it.

CLINICAL TRIALS Nigel Farage didn’t

turn up to vote for or against clinical trials

transparency at the European Parliament

in April, while a number of his colleagues

excitedly voted “no!”, earning themselves

this judgement from Ben Goldacre:

“It takes a particular kind of moron to

actively vote in favour of secrecy around

trial results”.

COMPETITION UKIP were left red-

faced after their Deputy Leader Paul

Nuttall posted a letter on his website (since

deleted), which stated: “Th e very existence

of the NHS stifl es competition”, and also

congratulated the coalition for “bringing a

whiff of privatisation into the beleaguered

National Health Service”. In April,

Farage said that he thought corporations

should be permitted to run the NHS,

when he told the Telegraph: “When you

occasionally hear of a big businessman

that saying he’d like to run the NHS,

and streamline it, and get better value

for money, I think that’s the approach

we’ve got to take.” Meanwhile, another

earlier proposal over which a discreet veil

has been drawn, was the bizarre notion

that patients could obtain ‘health credit

vouchers’ enabling them to opt out of

NHS care altogether and buy insurance

policies from private companies instead.

INTEGRATED CARE No news on

this as yet, they’re still too embroiled in

the “who loves the NHS more, UKIP or

Labour?” slanging match.

MAUVE AWAY

Pound stretcher pogo

ORANGE CRUSH

Lib dems dumped

28 | Pf | NOV 2014

COVER

30 | Pf | NOV 2014

Ooh Young manProfessor Tony Young has been named by NHS England as the new National Clinical Director for Innovation, to

provide clinical leadership and support in delivering improved health outcomes for the UK. Prof Young called it an

“honour”, to be appointed to the role.

Come on AileenTh e Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Aileen Th ompson as the

organisation’s new Director of Communications. She will play a pivotal role in highlighting the value that the

pharma industry brings to the UK and will be responsible for the ABPI’s engagement with external stakeholders.

You’re putting in the hours and getting results and you think it’s high time for a pay rise – so how do you go about

to presenting your case

1. Know your worthYour mum knows you’re worth your weight in gold, but your

superiors may take a little more persuading. Presenting a valid case

for a pay rise is all about a measured approach – demonstrate that

you consistently go above and beyond the call of duty, by going back

over your job description and highlighting how often you go the

extra mile by taking on extra responsibilities.

2. Figure it outIf you can quantify your contribution in fi gures, your bosses are

more likely to sit up and take notice of your request for more cash.

By how much have you exceeded your targets? How many new

clients have you secured? Th is will clearly indicate how much you are

worth, in a language that the money men can understand.

3. Compare the marketDo your research to fi nd out exactly how your current salary

and benefi ts compare to others in a similar position to yours.

Be realistic: plucking a fi gure out of the air, which will

comfortably pay for an annual trip to Barbados and private

school fees, will undermine your credibility. Scour trade

magazines (like Pf ) for surveys containing information on

industry salaries; check comparable job ads online and in the

papers and ask your peers (though be discreet, companies will

normally have policies on pay confi dentiality, but appreciate

that some may not wish or be able to share the info).

4. Get it down on paperOnce you have established your arguments and evidence for a pay

rise, type it up as a formal document to present to your manager. Th is

document should state a clear case and will serve to justify your request

not only to your boss, but also his or her superiors, who will have the

fi nal sign-off .

5. Avoid an ambushNo matter how eager you are to convince your manager that you’re

the best thing since sliced bagels, don’t spring this on them while

they’re boiling the kettle fi rst thing on Monday morning. Request

a performance review and specify that you would like to talk about

your salary. Also be sensitive to how the company is doing – if jobs

have recently been cut then you may need to wait, but if your fi rm is

celebrating a rise in profi ts, you could be in luck. And if they say no?

Bide your time. Th rowing a hissy fi t and threatening to leave will only

burn bridges you may need to cross in the future.

COO-coo-ca-choo Carlyn Solomon has been appointed as Hill-Rom’s new chief operating offi cer (COO). Formerly of Edwards

Lifesciences, Mr Solomon will now have responsibility for all of Hill-Rom’s global commercial, research and

development, quality assurance, regulatory aff airs and supply chain operations.

Th e Pf team have been very saddened

to hear that Mark Cole - last month’s

inspirational High Flyer - has passed

away. Mark’s colleagues at Shire have

paid glowing tributes to their friend:

“Mark was a giant of a man whose

character, passion and heart more than

matched his stature. His enthusiasm

was infectious and he was respected,

liked and loved by those who worked

around him. We are going to miss him

every day.”

Mark Cole remembered

Show me the money

Pf | MARCH 2014 | 31

“At the point of job off er, the fi nal hurdle

in closing the deal is to make sure you gain

the fi nancial package that’s right for you,

while also bearing in mind your potential

employer’s point of view.

Th ere are several essential steps to ensure

the negotiation runs smoothly. Firstly, be

clear to the agency from the outset, that

you are working with exactly what you

are looking for in terms of basic salary

and package. Th e best way to do this is

to think in advance about what package

requirements you would desire as a

minimum. Make sure this is communicated

to the agency, as they will use this as a

reference point when putting your CV

forward for roles.

Be realistic in your expectations, as

companies will more often than not have

a choice of potential candidates and you

could run the risk of pricing yourself too

high or, perhaps, too low.

When applying for a role, ensure right

from the beginning that the salary bracket,

and package for a position, specifi cally

matches your requirements. Th e agency will

know what your expectations are already;

however, needs can change. We therefore

recommend you consider positions on a

role-by-role basis, taking the time to look

closely at the overall package to ensure it is

in line with your requirements.

A common mistake is to not have thought

about this enough at the start of your job

search, and then go through an interview

process, only to fi nd out that you actually

require a higher basic than what is on off er.

Th ink in advance, with regard to the other

parts of the package. For example, some

companies off er a company car, others off er

car allowances. Factors like this may have

an impact on your decision about accepting

the job. If these steps have been taken, there

should be no surprises and you will be able to

successfully negotiate in order to secure the

position for which you have worked so hard.”

Andy Anderson Recruitment Director, Evolve Selection

| |0844 357 7332 / 0113 871 0001www.evolveselection.co.uk / recruitment@evolveselection.co.uk

Name: Brian Marnane

Job: UK National Healthcare Manager

Time in current role: 21 months

Time in pharma: 13 years

First job: Hospital Specialist Rep

Success is...

Personal to you, everyone defi nes it

diff erently.

What sets you apart in the work place?

Being conscientious, driven and doing

everything I do to the best of my ability

What techniques have you used to ‘climb

the ladder’?

Take every situation as an opportunity to

learn and improve your skills and experience.

Innovate – identify solutions to existing

challenges and always consider what else you

could be doing to add more value to your

interactions with colleagues and customers?

What is more important to success:

ambition or talent?

Both are important, but you also need a bit

of luck along the way.

What drives you on?

Delivering results and promises, while

always striving for better.

What would you consider the major

milestones of your professional life?

Winning the Account Management award

at the 2009 Pf Awards, and becoming UK

National Healthcare Manager for Scope

Ophthalmics.

What advice would you off er an

ambitious colleague?

Remain focused on your end goals, work

as hard as you possibly can and don’t give

up, as you will eventually be recognised and

given the opportunity you want and deserve.

Where would you like to be fi ve years

from now in terms of professional

progression?

Leading the team considered to be ‘best in

class’ by our customers.

How important is professional

development when getting ahead in a

work environment?

It’s always important to feel you are working

towards something. Having the support

and tools in place to enable you to develop

eff ectively and to deliver the best of your

ability is also very important.

Have you got/had a mentor?I’ve never had a formal mentor. Th ere are

people I have worked with throughout my

career that I have learnt from and aspired to

be like, which has

been a great help.

Why is working hard and achieving success important to you? I want to fulfi l my

potential.