Best Contribution to Improving NHS Procurement

Best Contribution to Improving NHS Procurement
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The NHS is facing critical procurement challenges and implementing transformative reforms to enhance efficiency, transparency, and value. The Procurement Act 2023, set to go live in October 2024, aims to streamline processes and foster inclusivity, making it easier for diverse suppliers to engage with the NHS. Alongside this, the NHS Supply Chain's commitment to saving £1 billion by 2030 focuses on innovative procurement strategies and effective collaborations. This award recognises private sector organisations that have significantly contributed to these procurement improvements through strategic partnerships with the NHS, demonstrating innovative approaches and effective collaborations that lead to substantial advancements in procurement practices, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective solutions that align with the NHS’s goals for sustainability and operational efficiency.

Eligibility

  • This award is open to any private sector organisation that has worked to improve procurement processes within the NHS
  • These can be single partnerships or joint working projects, but must demonstrate evidence from the past two years up until the awards deadline date

Ambition

  • Outline the scope of work, detailing the depth and breadth of the procurement project, including the timeframe and desired targets
  • What was the context of purchasing previously and why was a new procurement approach needed?
  • Discuss the methodology employed, whether it was adapted from best practice procurement from another sector or developed in-house

Outcome

  • How has the project improved procurement for the NHS organisation?
  • What have been the benefits in terms of savings, increased purchasing power, supplier engagement and overall value
  • What innovative and contemporary procurement techniques have been employed to leverage best value for the organisation
  • Identify innovative and contemporary procurement techniques used to leverage the best value for the organisation, and include measures of success like supplier-led innovation, process improvements, and spend management capabilities

Spread

  • Describe how has the partnership spread procurement best practices within and outside the NHS organisation
  • Outline the steps taken to engage with other teams and institutions, leading to improvements in purchasing processes
  • Provide evidence that the achievements have been shared with other organisations or have the potential to save money or improve processes elsewhere

Involvement 

  • Detail the collaboration process with end-users within the NHS organisation
  • Describe the engagement process, how were affected parties approached, what level of influence have they had on the partnership and proposed changes
  • Describe any collaborative working which led to the success of the project and how each party has consequently benefited

Value

  • Has the project resulted in savings for the NHS organisation?
  • Identify other measures of value considered outside of monetary benefits, such as greater supplier engagement, collaborative working between procurement and end-user teams, increased purchasing power, innovative solutions to streamline processes, and transparency in spending
  • Describe the beneficial effects of the project on frontline staff, patients, and service delivery

Best Contribution to Improving NHS Procurement

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To find out more

For entry enquiries, contact James Elliot on james.elliott@hsj.co.uk