Championing efficiency, productivity and quality of care

The NHS is at a pivotal moment. Faced with a complex array of ongoing pressures, from workforce shortages and treatment backlogs to ageing infrastructure and financial constraints, the system is undergoing a profound and necessary transformation. It is a critical time for decisive action and innovation.

The 10-year health plan sets out a bold vision for reform to ensure the NHS remains sustainable, resilient, and able to deliver high-quality care. Every one of us will have a role to play in enabling this future. NHS Supply Chain, as the national provider of procurement and supply chain services within the NHS, is strategically aligned with these national priorities and committed to supporting this transformation. 

In the short-term, we recognise the immediate challenge of winter pressures and remain committed to working with systems and trusts to unlock savings, deliver value, support improvements in patient care and ensure supply chain resilience. We can't take our eyes off these, nor the collaboration required to deliver the immediate outcomes patients deserve.

Looking forward, we will support the shift of healthcare into out-of-hospital settings and the move towards a total cost model of care. While the future is exciting, I recognise the day-to-day experience of working with NHS Supply Chain can be improved, with our reliance on legacy systems holding us back.

However, following recent confirmation of government support for our Modernisation Programme, we will be investing in our supply chain and IT infrastructure to better serve the NHS in a resilient and modern way. This will also enable us to deliver our commitment to return a minimum of £1bn of recurring value to the NHS by 2030. 

We remain committed to delivering quality, safe, sustainable, and resilient products and supply chains.

Over the coming months, we look forward to engaging with you at key conferences hosted by NHS Providers, HCSA and HFMA, where we will share more about how we can continue to collaborate to put patients first.