The NHS is facing challenges but remains committed to providing outstanding patient care. NHS Supply Chain plays a crucial role in supporting the NHS to evolve, deliver on its priorities and continue to put patients first. Together with our partners, we are not just focused on reducing prices; we are working to bring more value to the entire healthcare system while ensuring supply chain resilience and sustainability.
Looking ahead to 2024 – 2025, we are excited to continue enhancing our capabilities and services. This includes upgrading our technology, improving customer experiences, and expanding our inventory management solutions to offer digital transparency across the NHS.
Our goal remains clear: to leverage our talented team and expertise to prioritise patient care. Collaboration is key and by working together, we are dedicated to delivering even greater value to the NHS and its patients.
Our strategy
We are pleased to share our Business Plan with you. It helps us deliver on our ongoing commitment to supporting the NHS to deliver safe and excellent patient care.
One NHS Supply Chain
We are one organisation in the eyes of our teams and stakeholders, operating efficiently as a single organisation within the NHS family.
Strengthen Resilience
We ensure availability of critical products, supporting the NHS to deliver excellent patient care.
£1 Billion of Value
We will create £1 billion of recurrent value to return to the NHS from 2030.
See our Downloads ▼ section to read our full business plan for this year.
Working together for the NHS
As part of the NHS family, our Strategy and Business Plan are firmly rooted in the principle of working together with our NHS partners to deliver patient-led care. We are firmly committed to the NHS value of working together for patients and we will do this through five focus areas:
Organisational Development
Developing our clinical capabilities through clinical practice, evidence-based decision-making and effective collaboration; and strengthening clinical leadership across our organisation.
A Sustainable NHS
Delivering our Sustainability Strategy in alignment with the NHS Greener Plan and the Chief Nursing Officer Nursing and Midwifery Strategy.
Quality-Led Resilience
Building supply chain resilience to strengthen patient safety, patient experience and clinical effectiveness, to ensure we are procuring using the best available clinical evidence.
Products and Category Management
Facilitating patient engagement in what we buy
and how we buy it; and embedding clinical leadership at each stage of our category
development and contract management processes.
NHS Clinical Engagement
Collaborating with national healthcare organisations such as GIRFT along with National Clinical Directors, to deliver once for the NHS; supporting local and regional priorities; communicating effectively with all our clinical stakeholders; and utilising clinical feedback to improve how we work.
Commercial transformation
Transforming our commercial capabilities
We are here to provide the NHS with superior procurement services that meet all of the latest regulations. Our goal is to streamline processes and strengthen our ability to handle any supply challenges that may come our way.
Here is what you can expect from us in the coming months:
- Implementing higher standards for clinical quality across all procurement activities.
- Identify opportunities to bring new products to market that will enable trusts to lower the total cost of care delivered (for example through reduced length of stay) – known as value-based procurement.
- Collaborating across different categories to strengthen supplier relationships.
- Introduce an eSourcing solution and Supplier Collaboration platform for smoother transactions.
Resilience and sustainability
Embed an optimised, resilient and sustainable supply chain
As we move through 2024, supply chains around the world are expected to face various challenges, from shortages of raw materials to disruptions in manufacturing and transportation.
In response, we are taking steps to make our supply chain more flexible, capable, and resilient while also minimising our environmental footprint.
Here is what we have planned for the year ahead:
- Designing a Logistics and Operational IT Strategy to enhance our operations.
- Finalising the procurement of a logistics provider to ensure smooth delivery.
- Getting ready for UKCA marking compliance.
- Making improvements in packaging and promoting a circular economy.
- Through these initiatives, we’re committed to ensuring that our supply chain remains robust.
Integrated Care Systems
Connect across Integrated Care Systems and regions
We are dedicated to improving patient care and clinical outcomes by working closely with partners across the NHS. This means enhancing how we communicate and engage with healthcare providers to better meet their needs.
Here is how we are making strides in this direction:
- Building strategic relationships with Integrated Care Systems to improve coordination.
- Collaborating with healthcare providers to create smoother patient pathways.
- Hosting customer panels and working groups to gather feedback and shape our strategies.
- Piloting a new eCommerce platform for select healthcare providers to streamline transactions.
- Rolling out our new inventory management system to improve efficiency in 20 healthcare providers.
Through these efforts, we’re committed to making it easier for healthcare providers to focus on what they do best: caring for patients.
Improving capabilities
Develop, empower and engaging our workforce
In the upcoming year, we are committed to embedding the changes introduced via our Target Operating Model throughout the organisation.
Here’s what is in store for the year ahead:
- Welcoming 28 graduates into our graduate scheme to nurture new talent.
- Establishing a Leadership Academy to develop leadership skills within our team.
- Evolving and implementing our People Strategy to better support our team members.
Efficiency improvements
Operate a well-run organisation
Our Business Plan will help us deliver our goals for 2030, which are closely tied to the priorities laid out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Here is where our focus lies:
- Implementing new ways of working that align with our Target Operating Model.
- Sharing best practices across the organisation through our academies.
- Procuring IT providers to support our operations.
