Driving Value Through Collaboration: South Yorkshire ICS Achieves £553,000 Savings Through Sutures Switch
Following the discontinuation of several high-usage suture products by their incumbent supplier, South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) were faced with a challenge:
How to ensure continuation of the supply of sutures to avoid any disruption to emergency and elective patient care, whilst maintaining clinical standards and addressing significant cost pressures.
Working together, procurement and clinical teams identified an opportunity to switch to clinically equivalent alternatives through our Wound Closure Framework Agreement. This approach ensured quality, compliance and resilience, while delivering significant value for the system.
Building on the success of a previous Yorkshire trust that transitioned its absorbable and non-absorbable suture portfolio in 2014, South Yorkshire ICS partnered with Assut UK Limited, a trusted Yorkshire based supplier offering a full range of absorbable and non-absorbable sutures that matched material and needle specifications. This collaboration guaranteed reliable supply and supported elective recovery objectives post-COVID-19.
The success of the initiative created £553,000 in savings and has since led to its adoption by two other NHS trusts.
This case study highlights the value of collaborative procurement and agile decision-making in supporting efficiency, system-wide across the NHS. ICS-led collaboration mitigates risk and supports financial sustainability.
The Approach
- Framework utilisation: South Yorkshire ICS utilised our Wound Closure Framework Agreement to source clinically equivalent alternatives, ensuring US and EU Pharmacopeia standards.
- Collaborative approach: Procurement and clinical teams at each trust worked together to evaluate products, ensuring quality and compliance.
- Supplier partnership: South Yorkshire ICS partnered with Assut UK Limited, a trusted Yorkshire based supplier, offering a full range of sutures, matching material and needle specifications, and committed to reliable supply. (Other suppliers are available through our Wound Closure Framework Agreement).
Key Results
- Total savings of £553,000: With further savings made through expanded collaboration, additional discount tiers, and the inclusion of advanced suture types such as barbed or knotless.
- Zero service disruption: Emergency and elective care continued without delays.
- Wider adoption: Two additional trusts; Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust have now implemented similar suture portfolio switches. This includes a mix of district general hospitals, large teaching hospitals, and major trauma centres, delivering further savings and reinforcing the benefits of collaborative procurement.
Partnering with NHS Supply Chain allowed us to act quickly and confidently. We secured clinically equivalent alternatives without compromising patient care, avoided any service disruption, and delivered significant cost efficiencies. Not just for our trust, but for two neighbouring ICSs as well.
Paul Taylor MCIPS, ICS Collaborative Procurement Projects Manager, NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care System
Next Steps
Contact your regional ICS Manager to explore suture switching options and savings through our Wound Closure Framework Agreement.
Links section
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Acute Team
Contact details for our Integrated Care System Managers (ICS Managers).
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Wound Closure
Explore our framework and supplier options.