Clinical Community Spotlight – Marc Naughton

This month’s Clinical Community Spotlight features Marc Naughton, Clinical Lead – NHS Supply Chain Modernisation Programme.

Marc has recently taken up a new role within the NHS Supply Chain Modernisation Programme. As an experienced clinician with extensive procurement and logistics expertise, he is excited to ensure that clinical and patient considerations remain central to all aspects of programme design and delivery.

A Paramedic by profession, Marc began his career in procurement at Tesco, working in stock control and warehouse teams. He then joined CHEP, the company behind the global blue pallet network, where he further developed his understanding of distribution systems and processes before joining the NHS in 2002.

During his 15 years at North West Ambulance Service, Marc maintained a strong connection to procurement, supporting improvements to local stores processes, standardising equipment, and contributing to the evaluation and implementation of new products.

In 2016, he joined the Department of Health and Social Care, where he helped build the case that greater clinical involvement in procurement could deliver meaningful improvements. He then moved in 2018 to NHS Supply Chain as one of the first clinicians recruited into the organisation, playing a key role in establishing the clinical structure that has evolved to what we see today.

Looking ahead, Marc recognises the importance of transforming the current model into ensuring NHS Supply Chain Modernisation delivers a supply chain fit for the future aligned to the needs of the NHS. He highlights the need to unlock capabilities that are currently aspirational but essential – enabling teams across the organisation to work smarter while supporting the 10 Year Health Plan for England particularly its focus of “Hospital to Community” and “Analogue to Digital”.

See our Useful Links section to view 10 Year Health Plan for England.

I’m honoured to be in this position and look forward to working with colleagues throughout our business and beyond to transform NHS Supply Chain.

We are working towards a future system that has the capacity to expand our offering, better serve our communities, and operate digitally from order to delivery – reducing the need for manual intervention in data and queries.

This will enable colleagues to focus more on proactive and rewarding aspects of their roles, further improving the service we offer to our customers – whether procurement teams, clinicians, or patients.

As we are still in the early stages of the programme it will take time for decisions and changes to be implemented but I am excited by the challenge ahead.

Marc Naughton, Clinical Lead, NHS Supply Chain Modernisation Programme

Marc’s experience really stands out, he understands both the clinical and supply chain sides, which is exactly what we need. He’ll help keep us focused on delivering practical improvements that make a real difference for teams and patients as we move forward with the programme.

Joe Wreford, Director of Supply Chain Programmes, NHS Supply Chain

See our Useful Links section to view our Modernisation webpage,