06.08.13
Further savings can be achieved through better procurement
The Government’s new procurement strategy for the NHS has been welcomed by health service professionals. The strategy calls for more coordinated buying to maximise efficiencies, a more transparent approach to spending and expert guidance to help trusts improve procurement.
Nick Gerrard, chief executive officer at NHS Supply Chain, welcomed the strategy and said: “NHS Supply Chain supports the strategy’s focus on improving data, information and transparency, and is continuously improving its data offering to trusts. We believe that the publication of procurement metrics will enable trusts to have visibility and better cost control which should result in delivering efficiencies and enabling compliance with procurement policies.
“We do believe that further efficiency savings can be achieved through working together to aggregate NHS spend, and provide commitment to suppliers to get the best value out of every pound spent on procuring products.”
David Melbourne, interim chair of the NHS Supply Chain Customer Board and chief financial officer of Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “The challenges around getting best value from NHS procurement are widely understood and it’s now time to deliver the efficiencies that can be achieved through working with partners such as NHS Supply Chain.”
Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, added: “We know there is much more we can do to get the biggest bang for our buck. By being more efficient with our procurement processes, we can spend more on direct care – this has to be a priority.
“The move to ensure more information is available about what NHS providers spend on goods and services could allow many to learn from the best and become smarter about what they are spending. It could also help commissioners, patients and tax-payers hold them to account for making the best use of their money.
“But the process of doing this needs to be helpful without being overly bureaucratic, and must recognise providers' right to run their businesses in the way they believe is best for their patients.”
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