Katherine Price
Freelance journalist ✍️ Welsh 🏴 Switzerland📍🇨🇭 Bylines in @hosp_investor @PJOnline_News @HHE_Digital also @katherineprice.bsky.social
Articles by Katherine Price
New build isn’t dead, but is it on life support?
With both financing and construction costs proving challenging to hospitality developments, are new build hotels still a viable proposition in today’s market or is the future in conversion opportunities?
The great hotel operating model shift
In a volatile market, the structure of the owner–operator–brand relationship can be the difference between protecting downside and unlocking upside. While the big brands were once very keen to take on operating leases, over time that shifted more towards hotel management agreements (HMAs), and the market is now seeing the rise of franchising, driven by a variety of factors, one being the shift in assets, with more of a focus on conversions which can be brought online more quickly.
How the hotel sector can best position itself for public-private partnerships
The UK investment backdrop has changed massively over the last decade, with all forms of development facing challenges. From navigating planning and retaining existing stock to delivering new schemes, how can public-private partnerships unlock hotel-led development and deliver viable projects that serve the community and deliver returns? Cardiff is one example of long-term development requiring hotel capacity to support its growth.
Women with type 2 diabetes more likely than men to develop mental health conditions, study suggests
In the years following a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diagnosis, women are more likely than men to develop mental health conditions, while men are more likely to develop cardiovascular and renal complications, the results of a study have suggested. Publishing their findings in PLOS Medicine on 25 August 2026, researchers examined anonymised health records from 28,720 men and women in the UK who developed T2DM between 2010 and 2020.
More than 21,000 people with severe asthma receiving biologic treatment, says health minister
More than 21,000 people are currently receiving a biologic for severe asthma in England, government figures have shown.
Vapes more effective than other smoking cessation methods, Cochrane review finds
An updated Cochrane review has concluded that nicotine e-cigarettes, or vapes, are more effective in helping people quit smoking than nicotine patches and gums or quitting either with, or without, behavioural support. Publishing the findings of the review, entitled ‘Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation‘, in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews on 26 August 2026, the authors examined 80 randomised controlled trials involving 29,861 participants, nine of which were new to this update.
Survey warns of ‘lifestyle drive’ for weight-loss medication
Short-term aesthetic goals are potentially driving patients to use or consider weight-loss medications, rather than for health reasons, a survey commissioned by LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor has revealed.
Once-weekly insulin would be ‘significant change’ for diabetes prescribers
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a once-weekly insulin injection for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for use on the NHS in England and Wales.
Drug consumption room records less cocaine but increasing heroin use since January 2026
A safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow has recorded less cocaine use by service users so far in 2026 compared with last year but an increasing usage of heroin, as councillors and NHS staff in Edinburgh consider whether to apply for a similar facility. Latest service data on The Thistle, published by Glasgow City Health and Social Partnership, reveal that in July 2026, cocaine accounted for 54% of substances injected at the site — down from 81% in January 2026.
Early antiviral flu treatment linked with lower ICU admissions in children, study suggests
Early antiviral treatment is linked with fewer intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and shorter hospital stays for children with influenza, the results of a cohort study have suggested. Publishing their findings in JAMA Pediatrics on 10 August 2026, researchers found that children who received early antiviral treatment — in this case oseltamivir (Tamiflu; Roche) — were 31% less likely to be admitted to an ICU and had shorter hospital stays than those who did not receive the antiviral.
UKHSA launches toolkit for tackling AMR inequalities
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a toolkit that is intended to support healthcare organisations in identifying and addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related health inequalities within the populations they serve.
Barcode issues disrupting pharmacy work at more than half of NHS trusts
More than half (57%) of NHS trusts are experiencing ‘moderate to severe’ pharmacy workflow disruption owing to missing, incomplete or inaccurate barcodes, a survey conducted by barcode provider GS1 UK has found. Results of the survey, shared with The Pharmaceutical Journal on 4 August 2026, also showed that nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents had received medicines without barcodes in the previous month, with the numbers of affected packs ranging from 1 to more than 150.
Pharma companies reported fewer medicine supply issues in 2026
Pharmaceutical suppliers submitted fewer formal reports of medicine supply issues to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the first half of 2026 than they did during the same period in 2025. Figures published by the DHSC on 5 August 2026 show that the government received 687 supply issue notifications in the first six months of 2026, compared with 857 during the same period in 2025 and 1,013 in 2024. In 2025, there were around 1,400 supply issue notifications in total.
Premature menopause increases risk of high blood pressure, study finds
Women who reach menopause before the age of 40 years face a meaningfully higher risk of developing high blood pressure compared with those who go through menopause after the age of 45 years, according to the results of a study. Publishing their findings in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society, on 29 July 2026, researchers analysed data from 107,836 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010, with a median follow-up period of 14.5 years.
How pharmacists are storing medicines in soaring temperatures
Even with optimal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures are expected to keep increasing1. Incidences of overheating in English hospitals nearly doubled between 2016/2017 and 2021/2022.
MHRA report finds insufficient data on bladder anticholinergics dementia risk
A report has not found sufficient evidence to say that bladder anticholinergic medicines increase the risk of dementia; however, a small increased risk cannot be ruled out, it said.
Study develops first framework to estimate country-level antibiotic need
A major international study of antibiotic use has developed the first global framework to estimate how many and which type of antibiotics each country needs to treat infections. Publishing their findings in The Lancet Public Health on 22 July 2026, study authors said that the benchmarking framework “offers a data-driven method to estimate antibiotic need and to assist CTAs [countries, territories and areas] in evaluating their levels of antibiotic use in comparison with optimal patterns”.
Novo Nordisk suing Eli Lilly over ‘misleading’ GLP-1 advertising
Drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk — producer of GLP-1s Wegovy (semaglutide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) — is taking legal action against competitor Eli Lilly, which produces Mounjaro (tirzepatide), over what it describes as “misleading” advertising. In a press release published on 21 July 2026, Novo Nordisk said that it has filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly in the United States for multiple violations of federal and state false advertising and unfair competition laws.
Pharmacists having to procure their own pandemic PPE ‘a major failure in planning’, finds COVID-19 inquiry
The expectation for pharmacists to procure their own personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic was “a major failure in planning”, the latest report from the UK COVID-19 inquiry has said. In the report on procurement, published on 14 July 2026, Baroness Hallett noted that nearly two-thirds — almost £10bn — of approximately £14.9bn spent on PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, was wasted. “The spread of COVID-19 had a devastating impact beyond hospitals.
Patient death prompts concerns about clozapine and smoking cessation awareness
A coroner has raised concerns about awareness of the impact of smoking reduction and cessation on clozapine levels, following the death of a patient. Deborah Lakin, assistant coroner for Worcestershire, wrote to Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust in a ‘Prevention of future deaths report’ (PFD), published online on 28 July 2026, following the death of Jack Burton, aged 29, in October 2025 from clozapine toxicity.
How Art-Invest improved revenues, profit and value at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz
Art-Invest – a German developer, asset manager and investor – has roughly €12.5 billion in assets under management with around 120 properties across Germany, the UK, Sweden and Austria. The business recently sold the Pullman Cologne Hotel to Pandox. Fattal Hotel Group agreed a €57.4m sale-and-leaseback deal on the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz with Art-Invest in 2020.
How Art-Invest improved revenues, profit and value at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz
Since acquiring the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz four years ago, Art-Invest Real Estate has improved revenues, profit and value at the 346-bedroom property. Art-Invest – a German developer, asset manager and investor – has roughly €12.5 billion in assets under management with around 120 properties across Germany, the UK, Sweden and Austria. The business recently sold the Pullman Cologne Hotel to Pandox.
How Pygmalion doubled profits without breaking the bank
Despite being a new entrant to the Italian market, Pygmalion Capital has managed to more than double the gross operating profit (GOP) across its two hotels in Florence through cluster optimisation. Hotel investment firm Pygmalion Capital owns close to 2,000 rooms, mainly in Spain. Last year, the group revealed it was exploring €150m+ in transactions in southern Europe as well as putting nine Silken hotels on the market.
What investors need to know about operating agreements
Whether it’s leases, hotel management agreements (HMAs), franchise or a hybrid concept, identifying the right operating agreement for your asset is crucial. The market is seeing ever-evolving partnership models between owners, operators and brands due to the shift from traditional management agreements to third-party operators and a growing flexibility in lease models, all of which are resulting in innovative approaches that balance control with performance.
Hotel projects: to convert or not to convert? What you need to know
Converting different asset classes into hotels continues to prove attractive to the hospitality market, for example in destinations where new construction is limited. Although hotel conversion activity remains muted in the US, office to hotel redevelopments accounted for a fifth of the £2.4 billion invested in the UK hospitality sector in 2023 and conversions represented around half of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ global signings in 2024.
How to ensure ESG initiatives improve the bottom line
Hospitality investment conversations are increasingly centred around environmental, social, and governance (ESG) – but what does best practice look like? Pygmalion Capital Advisers acquired nine hotels in Spain in 2018 and launched a €6.1 million decarbonisation programme to make the buildings more energy efficient and shift them to renewables. This involved installing heat pumps, a solar electric system, and establishing energy consumption monitoring.
Hotel projects: to convert or not to convert? What you need to know
Although hotel conversion activity remains muted in the US, office to hotel redevelopments accounted for a fifth of the £2.4 billion invested in the UK hospitality sector in 2023 and conversions represented around half of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ global signings in 2024. But what are the key considerations for investors, what metrics should you look at when deciding whether to convert, what are the benefits of conversion – and what are the potential pitfalls? Why convert?
Hotel projects: to convert or not to convert? What you need to know
Converting different asset classes into hotels continues to prove attractive to the hospitality market, for example in destinations where new construction is limited. Although hotel conversion activity remains muted in the US, office to hotel redevelopments accounted for a fifth of the £2.4 billion invested in the UK hospitality sector in 2023 and conversions represented around half of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ global signings in 2024.
How French investor Atypio is planning for further European expansion
French hotel investor and asset manager Atypio has its sights set on expanding its portfolio across Europe as well as its heartland in France, in partnership with Accor.
How French investor Atypio is planning for further European expansion
That is according to Matthew McGrath, investment director at Atypio Hotels, who said that while the group was looking at repositioning assets in secondary cities across France, “Today we’ve achieved a mature stage on the French market and we’re looking forward on the development with Accor abroad across Europe.” Similarly, French hotels giant Accor has affirmed its commitment to growth through such partnerships, with plans to open 120 hotels in Europe in 2026.
Well superintendent pharmacist among 28 new RPS Fellows
Ifti Khan, superintendent pharmacist at Well Pharmacy, has been named one of 28 new Fellows of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), one of the highest accolades that can be paid to a Society member. Khan’s 30-year career in community pharmacy has spanned several pharmacy professional, operational and field roles, including as a locum pharmacist.
‘Impossible’ to ignore public-private sector collaboration today
Public and private sector collaboration is a necessity in the current climate. So said the president of Europe’s Association of Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés (HOTREC). Alexandros Vassilikos, who is also president of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) and owner & CEO of Airotel adds that the days of assessing successful tourism growth based on headcount were over. Quality over quantity “We know that this is a dead end – we cannot look at quantity, we have to look at quality.
More than two-thirds of locums have experienced a drop in available shifts, survey finds
More than two-thirds (69%) of locum pharmacists are reporting seeing ‘fewer’ or ‘far fewer’ shifts available compared with 2024, according to a survey conducted by the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA). Results of the survey, published on 20 May 2025, found that more than one-third (36%) of respondents said they had seen ‘fewer’ shifts available than a year ago, and one-third of respondents (33%) reported ‘far fewer’ shifts.
Aligning objectives is the key to successful asset management
Whether for yourself or a third party, the objective of asset management remains the same: to drive the best possible value out of each asset. “When it comes to asset management, people get really excited about the investment or the capex, excited about repurposing a space and also about the exit,” explains Paul Harnedy, executive vice president at Cedar Capital Partners, an investor into the hospitality sector which completed a €400m portfolio recapitalisation earlier this year.
MHRA approves 'world first' low-carbon version of COPD inhaler
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved what it says is the world’s first low-carbon version of Trixeo Aerosphere (Astra Zeneca), a triple combination inhaler for adults with moderate-to-severe COPD. The newly approved version of Trixeo Aerosphere will replace the propellant HFA-134a with HFO-1234ze(E) — a fluorinated gas with “near-zero global warming potential”.
NHS England looks to tender contract for behavioural support for patients prescribed tirzepatide in primary care
NHS England is looking to tender for a contract to provide behavioural change support for patients prescribed tirzepatide (Mounjaro; Eli Lilly) for weight management in primary care. On 15 May 2025, NHS England published a pre-tender market engagement request for information (RFI), which it said will be used to inform NHS England’s strategy to reprocure the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme alongside the tirzepatide support programme.
UK’s first safer drug consumption facility accessed more than 2,500 times in first four months, data show
The UK’s first safer drug consumption facility (SDCF) in Glasgow has been accessed 2,691 times during the four months it has been open, according to data published by the Glasgow City Health and Social Partnership. According to service data recorded by the SDCF, between January and April 2025, use of the service increased over the first three months — from 336 times in January to 864 times in March 2025 — before dropping slightly to 847 times in April 2025.
NICE to work with NHS Race and Health Observatory to de-bias clinical guidance
The NHS Race and Health Observatory and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have agreed five priority areas for de-biasing clinical guidance.
Hub-and-spoke dispensing expansion set to begin in October 2025
Changes to hub-and-spoke dispensing regulations are expected to be permitted from October 2025, government draft legislation has revealed. The government has laid draft amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMR) in parliament as the next step towards introducing hub-and-spoke dispensing between different legal entities, which the draft legislation said will come into force on 1 October 2025.
Monoclonal antibody ‘critical intervention’ for preventing infant RSV, study suggests
Monoclonal antibody nirsevimab “provides strong real-world protection” against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, a meta-analysis has found. The study, published on 1 May 2025 in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, analysed 27 studies conducted during the 2023/2024 RSV season across five countries: France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and the United States.
Smoking cessation drug could help young people quit vaping, study results suggest
Varenicline, a smoking cessation drug, could help young people quit vaping, study results have suggested. The study, published in JAMA on 23 April 2025, found that, among adolescents and young adults, varenicline was well tolerated and promoted vaping cessation when compared with a placebo among young people with moderate-to-severe addiction to vaped nicotine.
Coroner writes to ICB following death of patient who took too many of their prescribed drugs
A coroner has written to Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) voicing concerns over long wait times for mental health therapy support following the death of a patient who had taken too many prescribed painkillers. In a ‘Prevention of future deaths’ (PFD) report, issued to Greater Manchester ICB on 16 April 2025, Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South, raised concerns about the wait times for mental health support following the death of patient Robert Smith.
Antibiotic could help tackle drug-resistant gonorrhoea, study results suggest
Gepotidacin, a first-in-class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic, has shown non-inferiority to first-line treatment ceftriaxone plus azithromycin and potentially offers “a novel oral treatment option for uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea”, study results have suggested. The research, published in The Lancet on 14 April 2025 and funded by GSK, also revealed that gepotidacin was effective against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N.
Community pharmacy RSV expansion programme to be expanded four-fold
A further 200 community pharmacies are set to be commissioned in 2025/2026 to provide respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. In public health guidance published on 14 April 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care said that NHS England would “expand and support evaluation of the community pharmacy vaccination offer by up to 200 sites in identified target areas”.
Scottish government offers hospital pharmacists 8% pay increase over two years
The Scottish government has offered its Agenda for Change (AfC) staff, including hospital pharmacists, an 8% pay increase over two years. The offer, made on 8 April 2025, involves pay raises of 4.25% in 2025/2026 and 3.75% in 2026/2027 for almost 170,000 NHS AfC staff and would be backdated to 1 April 2025 — a cumulative pay uplift of 8.16% which represents a £701m investment over the two years.
NHS England to assess feasibility of a national inhaler recycling scheme
NHS England is assessing the possibility of rolling out a national inhaler recycling scheme, according to health minister Karin Smyth.
NHS increases funding for inclisiran although uptake remains ‘slower than expected’
NHS England has increased funding for inclisiran (Leqvio; Novartis), with community pharmacies now able to purchase the anticholesterol drug at a nominal charge of £45 and be reimbursed at £60 — an increase from £50. In a letter on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention sent to NHS colleagues on 31 March 2025, NHS England said the funding had been aligned to the new pharmacy contract and would be effective as of 1 April 2025.
Pharmacy and GP contracts should ‘encourage collaboration’, says think tank report
The GP contract and the ‘Community pharmacy contractual framework’ (CPCF) should encourage greater collaboration between the primary care providers, rather than offering competing financial incentives, according to a report by think tank The King’s Fund.
Genetic testing could prevent three-quarters of avoidable side effects of some medicines, study suggests
Testing patients for just three genes could help prevent three-quarters of avoidable side effects of certain medicines, study results have shown. The study, published in PLoS Medicine on 27 March 2025, analysed more than 1.3 million adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme.
NHS England sets target to save £1bn on medicines by 2029
NHS England has set a target to realise £1bn in medicines savings by 2029, with manufacturers’ representatives warning that the UK must be “conducive to suppliers” to meet this goal. The target was revealed in board papers published on 27 March 2025, which listed improving commercial arrangements as a “key measure for next year”. Having realised “close to £500m in medicines savings” in 2023/2024, the papers said NHS England “has set an ambition to save the NHS £1bn by 2029”.
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