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.
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 April and May – in the product areas of Total PAD Solutions (Blood Pressure Cuffs, Thermometry & Patient Assessment Devices Combined), Skin Cleansing Disinfection and Care, Wound Closure and Disposable and Washable Continence Care.
| Product Area | Roles Required | First Panel | Second Panel | Framework Start Date |
| Medical IT | > Radiologists > Cardiology Service Leads > Procurement Category Managers in Acute Trusts > Head of Procurement – Acute Trusts > ICS Chief Procurement Officer > Radiology Networks | April 2024 | April / May 2024 | December 2024 |
| Wound Closure | > Primary and Secondary Care > Service Leads (Theatres and A&E) > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists | April 2024 | June 2024 | October 2025 |
| 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 |
| Total PAD Solutions (Blood Pressure Cuffs, Thermometry & Patient Assessment Devices Combined) | > Primary and Secondary Care > Service Leads (Theatres and A&E, Community) > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists > EBME / Mechanical Engineering | May / June 2024 | TBC | January 2026 |
| Disposable and Washable Continence Care | > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists > Service Leads (Wards and Community) > Continence Nurse Specialists > Primary and Secondary Care | May 2024 | TBC | August 2025 |
| Central Venous Catheters and Associated Products | > Primary and Secondary Care > Service Leads (Theatres and A&E, IV Services, Anaesthetists, Community, Critical Care) > Procurement Category Managers > Clinical Procurement Specialists | June 2024 | November 2024 | April 2026 |
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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