A part Department of Health owned joint venture, aiming to save the NHS £1 billion in efficiencies by 2020, has launched a new procurement framework designed to save the NHS, local government and the wider public sector millions of pounds on everything from security to catering.
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), which has already helped the NHS deliver £350 million of savings back into frontline care, said its new facilities management framework is the first to offer such a fully comprehensive range of services needed by the NHS and other public sector organisations, from both national suppliers and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Offering services that range from asbestos removal to PAT testing, laundry, catering and the management of grounds and gardens, the framework has been developed in consultation with NHS SBS' hundreds of diverse customers throughout the NHS and public sector, to ensure a complete set of requirements is now being matched.
It is estimated that efficiencies in security services alone could conservatively save both the NHS and local government £6m every year. Given the breadth of services on offer and the volume of NHS and public sector buyers that are being given access to the framework, total savings for the taxpayer could be much higher.
Peter Akid, Director of Procurement at NHS Shared Business Services said: "This framework is a real opportunity for the NHS and other organisations across the public sector to harness their buying power and to start realising considerable savings on widely used services immediately.
"Fully compliant with European procurement laws and offering virtually every service required in NHS and public sector estates, the facilities management framework really is a one stop shop for the public sector. It means procurement teams will no longer need to manage multiple frameworks or embark on costly and time-consuming local tendering."
NHS SBS has ensured that the framework is OJEU complaint, saving valuable time and money in procurement processes for buyers. A typical OJEU procurement can take up to nine months, at a cost of up to £90,000 per procurement, but through the framework, this can be avoided.
At the same time, mini competitions can also be run off the back of the framework, to allow any bespoke requirements to be met.
Suppliers are also being encouraged to continue to offer new products and services through the framework, which offers protection to buyers with robust terms and conditions, along with fixed prices for a minimum of two years.
About NHS SBS
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is the market leader in business support services for the NHS. It provides finance and accounting, employment services, procurement and primary care services, delivering operational efficiencies and improved service quality as well as real cost savings, on average 30%, for its NHS clients. Established in 2005, NHS SBS is a 50/50 joint venture between the Department of Health and Sopra Steria Limited. The organisation now provides financial services to 100% of all NHS commissioning organisations and a range of business support services for around 50% of NHS provider trusts.
NHS SBS currently employs over 1,750 people who bring a unique mix of NHS and commercial expertise. They process over £170 billion of NHS payments each year and pay 390,000 NHS employees. The organisation has also identified more than £350 million procurement savings opportunities. NHS SBS is on-course to achieve £1 billion of cost savings to the NHS by 2020, having achieved its original 10-year target of £224 million of cost savings, a year earlier than planned in 2014.