Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives.
We use innovative science and technology to address some of society’s most challenging healthcare issues and we work together with the system to implement solutions that drive access for UK patients.
From research to delivery, we are a valued partner in the healthcare ecosystem, supporting in times of crisis and beyond, to build solutions that provide better care and access opportunities for every patient in the UK.
Our economic impact
Novartis provides value to society in the UK across eight key channels as defined by the 2020 Europe Economics report1:
- Creating economic activity across the UK economy
- Impacting lives through health outcomes
- Generating value for the NHS through generics and biosimilars
- Investing in the future of life sciences
- Innovating across a range of therapeutic areas
- Creating a collaborative ecosystem
- Advancing environmental and social goals
- Generating a skilled UK workforce
In 2019, we spent around £169m on research and development activities and infrastructure in the UK, and we remain a leading industry sponsor of clinical trials1.
We also offer unique partnerships with the UK health and care system to help improve patient outcomes at both a local and national level by developing new models of sustainable patient care, and introducing innovative technologies into the NHS. We are particularly active in joint working projects contributing more than 12 times the industry average of joint working projects in the UK1.
Unleashing the power of our people
We employ approximately 1,300 people in the UK, with Novartis UK certified as Top Employer 2021 for the eighth consecutive year. In 2019, Novartis supported just over 22,000 jobs across the economy with over 30 students in internship and apprentice positions1.
We are committed to providing a work environment where employment-related decisions, including compensation, are based on skills, qualifications and other job-related business criteria. At Novartis, we aspire to have a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment and seek to ensure that men and women are paid equally for doing equivalent jobs.
Click here to access our latest Gender Pay Gap Report.
We are also proud to announce that as of January 2021, all Novartis UK associates will benefit from equal parental leave of 26 weeks paid leave for both birthing and non-birthing parents following the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a child. By offering the same parental leave to all parents, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, we want to encourage a cultural shift, encouraging non-birthing parents to embrace taking an equal role in family care.
Going big on data and digital
At Novartis, we aim to spark a digital revolution, embracing digital technologies, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence to help drive innovation and improve efficiency.
In the UK, we are working with leaders in advanced data, digital and AI solutions to tackle some of the most difficult healthcare challenges to improve and extend the lives of all patients.
Our work with patients
At Novartis, we’re united by a shared purpose of putting patients at the heart of everything we do. We value the work of patient groups and the important role they play in supporting the needs of people fighting serious illnesses.
We are proud to work in partnership with the NHS and patient advocacy groups to identify new ways to improve patient care in the UK. Click here to discover more about our commitment to patients and caregivers.
Advancing environmental and social goals
We are dedicated to advancing the benefits of environmental, social and governance (ESG) accountability across all our divisions. In 2019, our environmental impact in the UK was at -£54m and we have set ambitious targets to become carbon neutral across our value chain by 2030. This means reducing waste disposal by half by 2025, being plastics neutral by 2030 and water neutral in all areas by 20301.
Following the commitments set by the UK government and the NHS emissions and net zero targets, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint to become a leader in environmental sustainability enabling a healthier society.