Barbara Taylor Email and Phone Number

Leading the Patient Engagement function for the UK Human Pharma Business.

Novartis defined its purpose as being to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives. Not only was it using innovative science and technology, and discovering and developing breakthrough treatments to address some of society's most challenging healthcare issues, it was also finding new ways to deliver them to as many people who could benefit as possible. It is through collaboration and partnership with healthcare systems, and working with others who are part of the wider healthcare ecosystem, that it believed it could truly achieve this bold mission.As one of the world's leading and most respected healthcare systems, the NHS is a partner with which Novartis was proud to be collaborating.Along with Novartis colleagues across a spectrum of functions, my role was to lead the strategic development and implementation of communications and patient engagement activities for its major NHS partnership initiatives. My aim was to bring the patient voice into its work and to ensure its communications activities delivered the right messages at the right time to the right audiences and with the appropriate engagement with its collaboration partners.

Working as part of Novartis Oncology's External Affairs team, my role was to develop and lead the Haematology Franchise communications programme and build advocacy and strategic partnerships to drive awareness of, and access to, the portfolio. With a wide breadth and depth of in-market products and an exciting pipeline of therapies and indications, this position gave me the opportunity to play a strategic role in the work of Novartis Oncology in the UK haematology arena, and to bring the patient perspective into that work.

Taking a more focused approach to patient engagement, in this role I led the strategic and tactical implementation of our patient advocacy and engagement activities for the UK Oncology portfolio. Taking a lead on the engagement relevant for our solid tumours offering while maintaining oversight of the engagement across the full oncology business unit, I became the 'go to' person for all things relating to patient engagement.

Working as part of Novartis Oncology’s External Affairs team, I developed and led the Rare Disease Franchise communications programme and built advocacy and strategic partnerships to drive awareness of, and access to, the portfolio. Working on both pre- and post-launch activities offered many and varied opportunities to make a real difference to the lives of patients.

I led the development and implementation of internal communications strategies within the organisation and across the multiple divisions within the business. I oversaw diverse internal communication channels including intranet, digital newsletters, e-mails and videos to ensure optimal uptake of information.Working closely with the General Manager and Senior Management Team to cascade key messages and convey business strategies and initiatives. Ensuring employees were informed and to enhance their engagement whether office- or field-based and across multiple sites countrywide.I was a key stakeholder in the development and implementation of the company's Global Citizenship Programme. This included employee volunteering initiatives and Abbott's Family Science Programme, which sought to actively engage school children in a passion for science.

Working as the UK communications lead for a blockbuster product I oversaw PR and patient advocacy activities for the brand. Starting with a single indication, I led the communications around the launch of five further indications spanning rheumatology, gastroenterology and dermatology.I was responsible for developing strategic communications plans that harnessed the full potential of the brand strategy and brand-team expertise. I worked closely with colleagues in Government Affairs, Marketing, Medical and Health Economics to ensure the delivery of fully informed and integrated programmes. These activities led to award-winning initiatives and shaped communications strategies within the business across Europe and worldwide.Key elements of this role included: - forming and nurturing successful relations with patient organisations and other third-party stakeholders- managing communications and issues around multiple National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) health technology appraisals (HTAs) and Clinical Guidelines development- line management (including participation in people management and employment law training).While in this role I represented the company on the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Communications sub-committee. I also oversaw PR and Patient Advocacy for the company's HIV portfolio during the first 18 months.

In this role I worked on diverse client accounts with a mainly international medical education focus. Therapy areas included glaucoma, pain management, thrombocytopenia, oncology and cardiovascular health.I delivered a full range of services from exhibition stand design and delivery, international congress symposia, Key Opinion Leader meetings, global advisory board meetings and investigator meetings to therapeutic-area journals and product monographs.

In this globally focused role I oversaw a number of diverse PR and medical education initiatives, from disease awareness events and clinical trial data press releases to exhibition stand and satellite symposia development and delivery. I designed and developed integrated European PR campaign strategies and toolkits for roll-out at national level.I managed the design, development and population of a global HIV disease awareness website as well as the website for a Key Opinion Leader group focused on addressing the issues of antibiotic resistance.

I was responsible for development and delivery of major international events and communications activities including symposia, exhibition stands, advisory boards and global key opinion leader meetings.

I project managed the development of medical education materials from product monographs, detail aids and symposia presentations to patient-education materials. I worked on a diverse range of therapeutic areas from diabetes, migraine, and women’s health, to transplantation and respiratory diseases.