Our new programme is designed to enable proactive engagement with NHS trusts, in order to help us design and develop the right procurement strategies, and achieve enhanced benefit for the wider NHS.
Facilitated by our Voice of the Customer team, we are looking for customers from across a range of roles and disciplines to join one of our panels. The aim of the panels is to gather key customer knowledge and insight to help shape our future procurement activity.
The overall aim of this programme is to ensure the customer voice is embedded into the implementation and delivery of our category strategies. This will ensure that we will supply products that:
- Are suitable for use.
- Provide value for money.
- Meet the needs of the NHS.
What benefits will trusts get by partaking in Category strategy customer advisory panels?
As well as learning about innovations being added to the new framework, customers will gain:
- Ability to suggest new innovations that may be suitable to be added to the framework, to benefit patient care, care pathways and drive value for the NHS.
- First sight of and input into potential savings levers, to factor into a savings work plan.
- Greater engagement with us across our procurement activity, including visibility of key milestones within the procurement process.
![Trade Meeting or Forum at Equinox House Trade Meeting or Forum at Equinox House](https://media-nhssc.azureedge.net/datashare/trade-meeting-equinox-house-december-2023-560x427.png)
![Remote Skype. Teams or Zoom Call Meeting Remote Teams or Zoom Call Meeting](https://media-nhssc.azureedge.net/datashare/remote-speakers-teams-zoon-call-meeting.png)
How much time will I need to commit?
Requirements on your time and commitment may vary, dependant on the framework type and category area. There will be flexibility in the different types of engagement, and how we collate your feedback:
- Microsoft Teams meetings
- Live polls
- Questionnaires
- Email communications.
The decision was made to open up the engagement into category strategy, moving away from a sole responsible trust (Lead Reference Trust) to ensure we are capturing input from a wider scope of customers to support a strategy aligned to customer needs.
There will be opportunity to review and provide feedback on the current framework prior to us going out to tender for the category area. Updates will be provided post procurement activity, as well as seeking your feedback on the initial outcomes of the tender.
Once procurement activity is concluded, customers will be provided with details of the outcome via contract launch communications (available six weeks prior to the framework / contract start date).
Schedule of category strategy customer advisory panel meetings – 2024
As a priority, we are currently looking for expertise to join our panels in July and August – in the product areas of Pathology and Point of Care Testing Outsourced Services, Total PAD Solutions (Blood Pressure Cuffs, Thermometry and Patient Assessment Devices Combined), Skin Cleansing and Intravenous Cannula and Associated Products.
Product Area | Roles Required | First Panel | Second Panel | Framework Start Date |
Angiography and Hybrid Theatre Equipment and Related Services | > Procurement Category Managers > Estate Managers > Radiologists > Cardiologists > Clinical Procurement Specialists | TBC | TBC | Extension December 2024 Renewal December 2025 |
Intravenous Cannula and Associated Products | > Category Manager > Clinical Skills Leads > CPSN > IV Team Leads | July 2024 | TBC | Extension March 2025 Renewal March 2027 |
Pathology and Point of Care Testing Outsourced Services | > Pathology Networks > Laboratory Managers > Clinical Category Manager > Pathology > Procurement Category Managers | May / June 2024 | TBC | October 2024 |
Skin Cleansing Disinfection and Care | > Primary and Secondary Care > Infection Control or Tissue Viability Leads > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists | June 2024 | February 2025 | July 2026 |
Polymer Products | > Primary and Secondary Care > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists | June 2024 | None | October 2024 |
Total PAD Solutions (Blood Pressure Cuffs, Thermometry and Patient Assessment Devices Combined) | > Primary and Secondary Care > Service Leads (Theatres and A&E, Community) > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists > EBME / Mechanical Engineering | July / August 2024 | TBC | January 2026 |
Interventional Cardiology, Interventional Radiology And Interventional Neuroradiology, Cardiac Rhythm Management And Electrophysiology | > Cardiologists > Physiologists > Electrophysiologists > Procurement > Finance | August 2024 | TBC | Extension February 2025 |
Guidance notes
If you would like to join one of our category strategy customer advisory panels please use our registration form.
For any other future category strategies that are not specified here, or for general queries about the programme, please contact us.
Voice of the Customer (VoC) Team
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