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HomePartnershipsWorking With The NHS and other Healthcare OrganisationsCollaborative WorkingCollaborative Working Project between University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Pfizer LimitedCollaborative Working Project between University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Pfizer Limited
Developing and coordinating the clinical pathways to review and optimise patients with Cardiac Amyloidosis (CA)
Background
The term amyloidosis describes a group of disorders caused by abnormal folding, aggregation and accumulation of certain proteins in the tissues, in an abnormal form known as amyloid deposits. Amyloidosis is classified according to the protein that forms the amyloid fibrils, and the clinical picture and symptoms can differ greatly between one amyloid type and another. There are various types of amyloidosis. Different proteins are implicated in different types of amyloids. 

The National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) is currently the only commissioned centre in England which offers a specialised centre of excellence for patients with amyloidosis and is funded via NHS Specialised Commissioning to provide diagnosis and treatment advice for these patients. 

The 2025 NHS tender for the Amyloidosis Networked Model of Care aims to expand specialised services by establishing regional centres alongside the NAC. This networked approach is designed to improve access to care and meet rising demand. However, the Southwest region was not awarded a contract, meaning patients from the extensive area surrounding Southampton will continue to face long travel distances to access services. As a result, there is a pressing need for a coordinated local strategy within the existing care model. Additionally, the requirements for specialist centres are substantial, highlighting the necessity for additional resources in Southampton to link in with the NAC.
Project
This project aims to support the delivery of amyloidosis services through a collaborative working agreement between University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Pfizer. Funding will support the provision of a Band 7 nurse and dedicated consultant time (one Programmed Activity session per week) to assist in the care of patients with amyloidosis.

The project is designed to ensure a thorough and coordinated clinical pathway for patients with suspected or confirmed cardiac amyloidosis (CA), enabling access to local multidisciplinary team (MDT) input and specialist diagnostic services. The project also facilitates timely access to licensed treatments and appropriate follow-up care.
Benefits
Benefits to patients
  • Timely access: improved and more timely access to specialised diagnostics, clinics, and treatments.
  • Co-ordinated standardised patient pathway for CA leading to improved care quality.
  • Reduced variation: greater similarity between NHS trusts across the network for all CA patients entering the clinical pathway.
  • Lower costs to patients: reduced transportation and unpaid time off work costs.
  • Empowerment and education: greater resources for patients and caregivers on education on disease management, medication adherence, and lifestyle adjustments. resulting in increased autonomy and if relevant, higher treatment adherence and satisfaction.
  • Enhanced clinical outcomes: improved decision making by specialist multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs), access to expert diagnostics and experience in treatment decision making.
  • Improved equity of access: reduced inequalities in the access to, and quality of, specialised healthcare.
  • Reduced emergency admissions: better disease management.
  • Reduced morbidity: timely diagnosis and more streamlined management.
  • Enhanced quality of life: faster referrals for other services (e.g. physiotherapy, psychological, social support).

Benefits to the NHS
  • Increased cross-trust collaboration: delivering best practices. Improved relationship between Southhampton and NAC and members of the amyloid network.
  • Improved clinical pathways within Southampton Hospital and between Southampton Hospital and the NAC.
  • Better access to diagnostics.
  • Optimised healthcare resource utilisation: increased efficiency through improved utilisation of resources across the clinical pathway. Reduction of time from referral to diagnosis and thus patient waiting time. Relieve pressure from the National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) by creating additional capacity for local levels of care, reducing the backlog.
  • Cost savings: reduced hospital admissions, emergency care needs and readmissions through improved proactive management.
  • Expansion of specialist knowledge: increased awareness and diagnosis. Clinicians in the local area will receive education about cardiac amyloidosis symptoms, diagnostic pathways, and disease management.
  • Data collection: data aligned with interventions of Rare Disease Framework and England Action Plan 2022.

Benefits to Pfizer
  • Patient identification: identify patients eligible for approved Pfizer treatments.
  • Service provision understanding: increase understanding of service provision and pathway design.
Potential Outcomes
  • Local pathway established for patients with suspicion/confirmed of cardiac amyloidosis.
  • Follow-up service established for patients living further away from the centre.
  • Improved patient management and continuity of care.
  • Reduced health inequities in this therapy area.
Proposed Term of the Collaborative Working Project
Planned start date: 20th October 2025.
Planned end date: 20th October 2027.
Resource Allocation
Pfizer Ltd will contribute:
  • Funding:
    • Band 7 Clinical Nurse Specialist: £137,252.00
    • Consultant time: £57,200.00
  • Human resource: 780 hours (£35,100.00)
  • Total transfer of value: £229,552.00*

*This is calculated as the sum of the direct financial contribution by Pfizer PLUS the benefit in kind value of the human resources provided by Pfizer.



University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust will contribute:
  • Diagnostics: £130,720.00
  • Human resource: 208 hours (£20,800.00)
  • Total: £151,520.00
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PP-UNP-GBR-13511 / October 2025
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