Aspiring to Excellence

The Aspiring to Excellence programme brings rheumatology teams together to work with experts in service improvement to collaborate on the planning and implementation of projects that will transform healthcare for people with axial SpA. It is a strategic partnership between NASS, BRITSpA, the NHS Transformation Unit and sponsoring companies AbbVie, Biogen, Lilly, Novartis and UCB. 

Axial SpA has been under prioritised and overlooked within the healthcare system for many years. As a result, people often experience delayed diagnosis and inconsistent quality of care despite a national guideline. This leaves patients living in pain for years feeling unheard, dismissed and anxious about their future. We want to change this.

Aspiring to Excellence was established to ensure that every patient, gets the best care, every time.

Working with the NHS Transformation Unit, we partner with rheumatology teams to catalyse improvements in their departments and the wider NHS. We offer these teams protected time so that they can work on projects that will improve patient experiences. We create a learning environment with service improvement experts on hand, enabling data driven conversations which will improve care, creating a service that patients value and trust. And we build a powerful network of healthcare professionals who can collaborate and support each other through change.

Together, we will drive improvements in axial SpA care.

Aspiring to Excellence is a strategic partnership between NASS, BRITSpA, the NHS Transformation Unit and sponsoring companies AbbVie, Biogen, Lilly, Novartis and UCB.

The words Aspiring to Excellence, driving improvement in axial SpA care plus circular logo

Aspiring to Excellence partners and sponsors