Surgical Gloves

The framework for Surgical Gloves starts on 27 November 2023, runs for 24 months and ends on 26 November 2025. There is the option for two additional 12-month extensions.

Sterile surgical gloves are worn to prevent contamination of the patient during invasive procedures and to protect the hand from exposure to potentially infectious materials. The gloves are either latex or non-latex.

Surgical gloves have more precise sizing with improved precision and sensitivity and are made to a higher standard. Double gloving is the practice of wearing two layers of medical gloves to reduce the danger of infection from glove failure or penetration of the gloves by sharp objects during clinical procedure, they are made from both latex and synthetic materials.

Areas covered

There is one lot on this framework for surgical gloves. This includes latex, synthetic, textured, sensitive, under glove and dual pack gloves.

Examination gloves are now available via their own standalone framework. See our Useful Links section for further detail.

Ethical procurement

This framework introduces what we consider to be an industry leading position on ethical procurement. In addition to all suppliers being required to pass the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool (MSAT) and the Labour Standards Assurance System (LSAS) they must also be independently audited as ‘low risk’ against all 11 of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) Indicators of Forced Labour: These are:

• Abuse of vulnerability
• Deception
• Restriction of movement
• Isolation
• Physical and sexual violence
• Intimidation and threats
• Retention of identity documents
• Withholding of wages
• Debt bondage
• Abusive working and living conditions
• Excessive overtime

Orders can only be placed with a supplier on the framework once they provide a third-party audit report demonstrating low risk against all the indicators.

We also require suppliers to confirm which manufacturer produces the gloves so that we can link National Product Codes (NPCs) to audit reports.

These requirements will be monitored across the lifetime of the framework and suppliers that do not comply will have their products suppressed, preventing orders being placed until the standards are met.

Savings opportunities

The framework provides National Pricing Matrices (NPM) from several suppliers, which will allow savings opportunities for customers who are able to consolidate their purchasing.

The framework will also provide the opportunity for product switching savings by moving to alternative brands.

Please speak to your Integrated Care Systems (ICS) Manager if you are interested in these opportunities.

Social Value

Since April 2022 all our frameworks have adopted the Procurement Policy Notice 06/20. The suppliers on this framework have demonstrated their plans for:

• Tackling economic inequality
• Equal opportunity
• Wellbeing

Sustainability

Each supplier on the framework has submitted Sustainability Plans setting out the measures they are taking to improve the sustainability of their products. Examples include:

• Using biofuel for shipping containers
• Sustainably sourced and recycled packaging
• Deliveries using electric vehicles or by rail
• Using renewable energy for office, warehouse or other operations

Resilience

As a result of Covid there is now much greater surgical glove manufacturing capacity, which helps increase supply resilience.

This, combined with our increased knowledge of the global manufacturing base, means we are better able to identify potential risks and mitigate them by building resilience into our sourcing strategies.

Important notice – for stocked products only.
Following the move to Buy Price = Sell Price, new contract / framework prices will only come into effect when stock of all product at the old contract / framework price has been depleted.