GBUK – Driving Supplier Sustainability in NHS Supply Chain

Over the last few years, since the NHS introduced its Net Zero Commitment, outlined milestones in the Net Zero Roadmap, and made compliance with procurement policy on carbon reduction mandatory, suppliers have had to elevate their sustainability efforts. Our Supplier Management Value Release Programme is now in full swing, and we’ve connected with many of our largest suppliers. Some are global healthcare multinationals with turnovers in the billions, while others, like GBUK, may operate on a smaller scale but are proving equally proactive. 

GBUK is a key supplier across multiple NHS Supply Chain frameworks. When we first met their team during a Value Release workshop, they were meeting sustainability requirements but didn’t have a dedicated resource or expertise in the area. Encouragingly, GBUK committed to making this investment. 

Strengthening their in-house sustainability expertise became a central pillar of their growth strategy. Once GBUK’s new Sustainability team was in place, it was a pleasure to meet them and hear how their revised Carbon Reduction Plan was already underway. They had a clearer grasp of mandatory requirements and were actively exploring additional sustainability opportunities across their portfolio. 

The Value Release workstream surfaced many areas worth exploring, with several still in development. One area of ongoing focus is the Pressure Infuser portfolio, where we’re gathering insights into how products are used within the system, specifically differences in specification, cost, and usage between single-use and reusable pressure infusers. 

NHS Supply Chain is also investigating packaging reduction initiatives, which we hope will materialise in the next financial year. Sometimes, simple actions, like touring a supplier’s warehouse and seeing products packed in situ, can reveal opportunities to reduce packaging impact. A colleague in NHS Supply Chain’s Sustainability team, is leading this effort as part of our Packaging Programme. 

GBUK is also a key supplier on the Pressure Area Care and Patient Handling portfolio, providing both virgin and recycled plastic slide sheets. Both are single-use products that ultimately enter the waste stream. In terms of volume, virgin plastic dominates – mainly due to its lower cost. This presents a challenge: although slide sheets made from 100% recycled plastic offer lower embedded carbon, the NHS isn’t currently seeing tangible benefits. The environmental value, while real, lies upstream and doesn’t translate into measurable reductions in waste weight or disposal cost. At present, the CO₂ savings alone don’t justify the price gap. 

That said, the landscape may shift. As demand increases, recycled content could become cheaper and more widely available. This is a prime example of how, even with good intentions, commercial realities may temporarily limit adoption. 

Some customers are already choosing the recycled product. Perhaps it supports their broader goals, like reducing single-use plastic, and they’re willing to absorb the additional cost. It would be valuable to explore their motivations further so we can share their stories and encourage wider uptake. 

Collaboration with suppliers to understand barriers and enablers is a cornerstone of our Sustainability and Supplier Management Programme. By working together, we can achieve even greater sustainability gains, and we’re excited to keep building on this momentum into the next financial year. 

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