National charity supportive of NHS Supply Chain framework to help protect lone workers in the NHS

NHS trusts can take steps to protect staff working in isolation more easily, thanks to a wider range of safety devices available through NHS Supply Chain.

More than 20 products are now available on the new Technology Enabled Care, Electronic Assistive Technology and Lone Worker Devices framework, which runs for two years. Lone worker devices range from ID badge holders with SOS fobs to mobile phone apps with timed check in and GPS location enabled.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is supportive of the move by NHS Supply Chain to widen its range of devices available to trusts. The charity was set up following the disappearance of Suzy, who vanished in 1986 during the course of her work as an estate agent while showing a client round a house in Fulham, London. Suzy’s body has never been found, but she has been presumed murdered and was legally declared dead in 1993.

Suzy’s Charter for Workplace Safety, launched in 2019, advocates having a system in place for colleagues to covertly raise the alarm, specifically: “Where possible have discreet lone worker devices available or provide access to an alert system to covertly call for immediate help even in areas without a phone signal.”

Lone worker devices can play a useful part of a person or organisation’s overall personal safety strategy. While we don’t endorse one device over another, we support NHS Supply Chain’s framework to give NHS trusts a choice and to highlight their value in helping their staff work more safely.

Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns at The Suzy Lamplugh Trust

We’re pleased to be able to widen our framework to include more products that trusts can give to staff to make them feel safer while carrying out their work in isolation. By using our framework, trusts can be confident of procuring through a compliant route.

Jo Norris, Clinical Engagement and Implementation Manager, NHS Supply Chain: Rehabilitation, Disabled Services, Women’s Health and Associated Consumables

Notes to editors

All information in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

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About NHS Supply Chain

NHS Supply Chain manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

Managing more than 8 million orders per year, across 94,000 order points and under 17, 500 locations. NHS Supply Chain delivers over 28 million lines of picked goods to the NHS annually and our systems consolidate orders from over 930 suppliers, saving trusts time and money in removing duplication of overlapping contracts. 

NHS Supply Chain aims to deliver savings of £2.4 billion back into the NHS by 2023/2024, leveraging the buying power of the NHS to drive savings and provide a standardised range of clinically assured, quality products at the best value through a range of specialist buying functions. Its aim is to leverage the buying power of the NHS to negotiate the best deals from suppliers and deliver savings back into NHS frontline services.

There are 11 specialist buying functions, known as Category Towers, delivering clinical consumables, capital medical equipment and non-medical products such as food and office solutions. Two enabling services for logistics and supporting technology underpin the model.

Working in partnership with NHS trusts, service providers, and stakeholders, NHS Supply Chain aims to:

• Anchor the business on the needs of the NHS by supporting NHS trusts to deliver safe and excellent patient care and through continuing to build the services the NHS needs.
• Further strengthen the resilience of the supply chain by continuing to invest in key tools and capacity that build resilience and performance, across the end to end supply chain.
• Deliver clinically assured, safe products that support improved outcomes for patients and users.
• Support the NHS objective of becoming the world’s first net carbon zero national health system.
• Ensure a high performing workforce and highly efficient organisation.

Oversight and operational management of NHS Supply Chain is delivered by the management function, Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL). SCCL was incorporated on 25 July 2017 and is a company registered in England and Wales, company number 10881715. NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England) is the sole shareholder of SCCL.

SCCL is a separate organisation to NHS England and part of the NHS family.