New Chair appointed to NHS Customer Board for Procurement and Supply

Sir James Mackey Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust appointed

NHS Supply Chain is pleased to announce that Sir James Mackey the Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has been appointed as Chair of the NHS Customer Board for Procurement and Supply.

He will attend his first meeting in December 2020 with the aim of taking over the chairmanship from Sir Ian Carruthers OBE in 2021.

The NHS Customer Board for Procurement and Supply aims to influence and lead procurement strategy by engaging with the senior stakeholders who understand the challenges faced by the NHS.  The Board has a particular focus on the new NHS Supply Chain operating model.  The National Board oversees four regional boards, North, Midlands, South and London. 

Sir James said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board and very keen to ensure NHS Trusts’ views on procurement are reflected within the organisation’s plan in order to influence the procurement landscape. 

COVID-19 has impacted on us all and placed even more importance on a resilient, effective and efficient NHS supply chain.  In addition, the NHS should be focussed on what we should be doing as a system to support areas such as local and national economic recovery, linked to where products are procured, locally/nationally versus overseas.

Working together, learning from each other enabling the understanding of the wider value that NHS Supply Chain brings to NHS trusts is an opportunity for us all.”

Jim Spittle Chair of the SCCL Board said: “I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to Sir Ian for his many years of strong leadership and commitment to the National Customer Board for Procurement and Supply. Sir Ian brought a wealth of experience on how the NHS operates as a system, supporting the Customer Board to navigate complex changes during his terms of office, such as the introduction of the New NHS Supply Chain operating model.

I would like to welcome Sir James to the Board and I look forward to working with him to continue to shape the NHS’s procurement strategy to ensure that its focusses on the needs of NHS trusts.”