Working with the healthcare sector

This statement sets out the standards of how the Stroke Association partners with pharmaceutical and medical technology (med-tech) industries.

The Stroke Association relies on donations to fund its charitable purposes. Partnerships can enable us to carry out lifesaving work and ultimately help deliver our mission to rebuild lives after stroke through sharing vital knowledge and exploring synergies.

The Stroke Association acknowledges the importance of maintaining independence and will never compromise our ethics or integrity as part of a partnership. As a charity, we will only undertake activities that improve the lives of our beneficiaries and that provide public benefit.

Collaboration with pharmaceutical and med-tech companies

The Stroke Association recognises that collaborating with pharmaceutical and med-tech companies can provide a platform to share important knowledge and expertise. We are driven to explore all partnerships that are for the benefit of stroke survivors, not injurious to the health or well-being of people, or against the best interests of our beneficiaries. We acknowledge the need to be open and transparent about such partnerships to ensure we maintain our integrity and independence.

The following principles set out how we will collaborate with pharmaceutical and med-tech partners:

• Partnerships must clearly support and align with our charitable objectives and be for public benefit.
• All partnerships will uphold the principles of independence, integrity and transparency.
• We will not allow a partner to influence our campaigning, policymaking, research or fundraising for their own purposes. We will ensure our editorial independence is maintained and all information produced by the Stroke Association will be based on the latest evidence, informed by healthcare professionals and people affected by stroke.
• All partnerships must comply with all relevant laws and regulations, as well as good practice. This includes full compliance with sector specific guidance for pharmaceutical or med-tech companies, including (as appropriate) the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's Code of Practice (ABPI), the British Healthtech Industries' Code of Ethical Business Practice and any guidance from the UK Bioindustry Association, as well as the Code of Fundraising Practice, Charity Commission Guidance and the UK Bribery Act 2010. Partners must confirm that they comply with the relevant laws and regulations prior to entering into an agreement with the charity.
• We will conduct due diligence on partners and each will be individually assessed on set criteria. All partnerships will be governed by a written agreement which will detail requirements and expectations from each party.
• The Stroke Association's trademark may only be used by a partner prior to written approval from the Charity. The Stroke Association may use a partner's mark where relevant to the relationship such as webinars, event banners, on our website or on press releases where appropriate. The use of a partner's trademark will have no impact on the independence of the charity.
• We will always seek to work with a minimum of two industry partners to ensure there is no undue influence or competitive advantage from one single partner.
• We will work with partners to share expertise and knowledge. This may include participation in networking events, public and/or private meetings.
• In line with our privacy policy the Stroke Association will not, under any circumstances, share the personal data of any of our service users or supporters with a pharmaceutical or med-tech partner for their own purposes.
• The level of income the charity receives from pharmaceutical and med-tech companies will not exceed 5% of total income per annum.

Donations and/or contributions will only be received by the Stroke Association in line with our Acceptance and Refusal of Donations Policy and Ethical Policy.

The Stroke Association is open and transparent about all our partnerships.