Voice of the Customer Team

The Voice of the Customer team was formed in 2022 within our Customer Engagement directorate, with two core aims of driving customer insight into the organisation and improving the overall experience that customers have with NHS Supply Chain.

We ensure that customers’ experiences, expectations, preferences, and feedback are captured and heard – ensuring we align closely with the NHS and our wider system partners. We facilitate several panels and working groups to provide a wide range of customers with the opportunity to have focussed, honest and direct conversations with us.

The Acute PPE Customer Engagement Panel supports customers with any PPE issues they are experiencing with areas such as quality, provision, and delivery. The panels enable NHS Supply Chain to communicate information and policy to customers, as well as resolve and / or escalate any issues from customers.

The Non-Acute PPE Customer Engagement Panel supports customers with any PPE issues they are experiencing with areas such as quality, provision, and delivery. The panels enable NHS Supply Chain to communicate information and policy to customers, as well as resolve and / or escalate any issues from customers.

Bringing together multiple key members working on PPE in Supply Chain, Clipper representatives, members from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and our Regional PPE Leads customers. These meetings enable the Regional PPE Leads to receive supply updates, escalate any issues from their regions, and share best practice amongst regions.

This group presents the best opportunity for us to work together to develop a clinical strategy aligned to the needs of our NHS partners. Our aim is to bring together a group of experienced, forward-thinking colleagues with a diverse range of skills and backgrounds to help drive improvement.

The Clinical Procurement Specialist Network (CPSN) Clinical Alternative Products Support call is supported by a bulletin detailing the outcomes following each meeting. A clinical discussion between the CPSN and NHS Supply Chain to identify alternatives and provide early informs of potential issues.

See our Useful Links section for more information on the Clinical Alternative Products Support call.

The purpose of this group is to work collaboratively to develop and enhance our Integrated Care System (ICS) value and offering, define key levels of engagement within an ICS, and define ways of working. The aim is to bring together a group of forward-thinking colleagues and partners with differing skills and backgrounds to help drive improvement, and review areas as set out in the following four ‘pillars’ that have been aligned to NHS England’s Central Commercial Function (CCF) model.

This group allows us to ensure we are capturing the customer voice in shaping future supply chain services and developments for the non-acute sector. Current challenges are discussed and will define priority projects that are aligned with the NHS agenda, which will be used to scope and set pilot projects over the next year. Our aim is to focus on ways we can support NHS customers and patients who have a care pathway that is predominantly outside of acute settings.

A forum in which to discuss, track, and resolve operational resilience concerns as a collaborative group. This enables issues to be escalated and prioritised to support customer groups and improve the overall experience of working with NHS Supply Chain on the key issues relating to the resilience of the supply chain and logistics.

See our Useful Links section for more information on the Resilience and Service Support Call.

The Resilience Steering Group (RSG) was set up in November 2021, originally as a Working Group in response to discussions at Regional and National Customer Boards around demand management and supply issues. The group has further developed into a Resilience Steering Group that occurs monthly, and is an opportunity for an open and honest discussion between our customers and NHS Supply Chain.

See our Useful Links section for more information on the RSG.

Each month we provide a calendar that includes all of our Panels and Working Groups so that you can see the key dates for the meetings that you want to attend.

If you would like to attend any of our Panels or Working Groups, please complete the Register Interest Form, or alternatively contact us for more information.

The Voice of the Customer team are working to improve customer engagement in category strategy. We are looking for customers to support and review the category management strategies developed by the category tower category management teams and provide vital insight into how we build frameworks around customer and patient needs.

The aim of this project is to ensure the customer voice is embedded into the implementation and delivery of category strategies. If you are interested in getting involved in the upcoming sessions please complete the register interest form or contact the Voice of the Customer team for further information.