Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Set out how NHSE and NHS Supply Chain will involve clinicians in purchasing decisions.
Recommendation
NHSE and NHS Supply Chain have not convinced clinicians that they value the quality of products above price. We are concerned that a focus on costs may impact on the quality of outcomes for patients. We can see the value in reducing unnecessary variation in the range of products that clinicians can choose, but this needs clinicians to be involved in those purchasing choices to make sure patient care is part of the value and cost considerations. Both NHS Supply Chain and NHSE consider that trusts and clinicians need to be free to make decisions about which products to buy in some instances and NHS Supply Chain contends that it offers an appropriate choice of products to trusts. While we find it reassuring that trusts have the freedom of choice over which products to buy, we are disappointed that there is no national leadership or analysis on which products lead to the best outcomes, other than for highly specialised equipment. Recommendation 6: NHSE and NHS Supply Chain should set out how they will involve clinicians in purchasing choices to ensure that better patient care is considered alongside value and cost. 8 NHS Supply Chain and efficiencies in procurement 1 Increasing the use of NHS Supply Chain
Government Response Summary
The government states that NHS Supply Chain already engages clinicians in sourcing decisions, and will further re-design the Commercial Service Proposition by November 2024 to enhance and clarify opportunities for representative clinical groups to engage in future commercial activity.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented NHS SC engages clinicians in all sourcing decisions. Lead trusts are used to ensure the voice of the clinical workforce is at the forefront of understanding needs that should be fulfilled by commercial activity. To create the opportunity to enhance the voice of the clinical teams in future decision making, NHS SC will re-design the Commercial Service Proposition by November 2024 and be clearer in the opportunities for representative clinical groups to engage in future commercial activity. This work is being led by the newly appointed Clinical Executive Director of NHS SC. NHS SC will continue to work with NHS Trusts to identify when they will implement the current schedule of Value Based Procurement initiatives and continue to focus selection criteria for supplies across the broad range of value drivers in the NHS (including sustainability, patient outcome and clinical efficiency alongside unit cost). These steps will help reduce the current catalogue of around 600,000 individual items where the intention is to ensure that any product that an individual clinician might want is available for them to purchase to one where there is a smaller list of products based on clinical input and best practice. NHS England will provide clinical support to NHS SC where necessary to support the delivery of the savings programmes. Treasury Minutes Archive1 Treasury Minutes are the government’s response to reports from the Committee of Public Accounts. Treasury Minutes are Command Papers laid in Parliament. Session 2023-24 Committee Recommendations: 178 Recommendations agreed: 164 (92%) Recommendations disagreed: 14 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number February 2024 Government response to PAC reports 1-6 [80 Session 22-23] CP 1029 March 2024 Government response to PAC reports 7-11 CP 1057 April 2024 Government response to PAC reports 12-18 CP 1070 May 2024 Government response to PAC reports 19-24 CP 1085 Session 2022-23 Committee Recommendations: 551 Recommendations agreed: 489 (89%) Recommendations disagreed: 62 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2022 Government response to PAC reports 1, 3 & 10 CP 722 August 2022 Government response to PAC reports 2, 4-8 CP 708 September 2022 Government response to PAC reports 9, 13-16 CP 745 November 2022 Government response to PAC reports 11, 12, 17 CP 755 December 2022 Government response to PAC reports 18-22 CP 774 January 2023 Government response to PAC reports 23-26 CP 781 February 2023 Government response to PAC reports 27-31 CP 802 March 2023 Government response to PAC reports 32-36 CP 828 May 2023 Government response to PAC reports 37-41 CP 845 June 2023 Government response to PAC reports 42-47 CP 847 July 2023 Government response to PAC reports 48-54 CP 902 August 2023 Government response to PAC reports 55-60 CP 921 September 2023 Government response to PAC reports 62-67 CP 941 November 2023 Government response to PAC reports 68-71 CP 968 January 2024 Government response to PAC reports 72-79 CP 1000 February 2024 Government response to PAC reports 80 [1-6 Session 23-24] CP 1029 Session 2021-22 Committee Recommendations: 362 Recommendations agreed: 333 (92%) Recommendations disagreed: 29 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number August 2021 Government response to PAC reports 1-6 CP 510 September 2021 Government response to PAC reports 8-11 CP 520 1 List of Treasury Minutes responses for Sessions 2010-15 are annexed in the government’s response to PAC Report 52 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number November 2021 Government response to PAC reports 7,13-16 (and TM2 BBC) CP 550 December 2021 Government response to PAC reports 12, 17-21 CP 583 January 2022 Government response to PAC reports 22-26 CP 603 February 2022 Government response to PAC reports 27-31 CP 631 April 2022 Government response to PAC reports 32-35 CP 649 April 2022 Government response to PAC reports 36-42 CP 667 July 2022 Government response to PAC reports 49-52 CP 722 Session 2019-21 Committee Recommendations: 233 Recommendations agreed: 208 (89%) Recommendations disagreed: 25 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 1-6 CP 270 September 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 7-13 CP 291 November 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 14-17 and 19 CP 316 January 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 18, 20-24 CP 363 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 25-29 CP 376 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 30-34 CP 389 March 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 35-39 CP 409 April 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 40- 44 CP 420 May 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 45-51 CP 434 June 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 52-56 CP 456 Session 2019 Committee Recommendations: 11 Recommendations agreed: 11 (100%) Recommendations disagreed: 0 Ref Publication Date PAC Reports Number January 2020 Government response to PAC report [112-1