23.06.14
Lord Carter appointed chair of NHS Procurement board
Labour peer Lord Carter of Coles has been appointed the chair of the NHS Procurement and Efficiency Board.
In his role as chair, the founder of nursing home company Westminster Health Care will help the NHS to “cut waste, save money and drive efficiencies which can then be spent on frontline patient care”.
Recently Lord Carter reviewed the procurement of legal aid in England and Wales, and previously worked in the NHS leading a review of Pathology services. He is also a board member of the Efficiency & Reform Group, part of the Cabinet Office.
Currently, the NHS spends over £22bn every year on goods and services, which typically accounts for around 30% of the operating costs of each NHS organisation. The Department of Health has now charged the NHS to deliver £1.5bn to £2bn of procurement efficiency savings by 2015 to 2016.
Health minister Dan Poulter said: “I am delighted by Lord Carter’s appointment. He will bring a wealth of experience to the NHS Procurement and Efficiency Programme, which will help hospitals to cut waste and save money which can then be spent on frontline patient care.”
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