Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Unmanaged disconnect exists between product cost, clinical choice, and patient care outcomes.
Conclusion
Both NHS Supply Chain and NHS England told us that trusts and clinicians need to be free to make decisions about which products to buy in some instances and NHS Supply Chain maintained that it offers an appropriate choice of products to trusts. However, there is a risk of tensions and disconnect between cost, clinical choice and patient care and there is no organisation with clear responsibility for managing that disconnect.37 NHS Supply Chain told us that its role is to ensure it always has products available that are safe for use by clinicians but that it does not monitor the use of products by trusts.38 NHSE considered that the choice of product was for local rather than national leadership.39 32 Qq 27, 101–104 33 Q 83; C&AG’s Report, para 2.7 34 Q 83 35 Correspondence from NHSE to the Public Accounts Committee, 15 February 2024 36 Q 82; C&AG’s Report, para 2.9 37 Qq 28, 53–62 38 Qq 53–54 39 Qq 55–56 14 NHS Supply Chain and efficiencies in procurement
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states NHS Supply Chain will re-design its Commercial Service Proposition by November 2024, led by a new Clinical Executive Director, to enhance clinical team engagement in future commercial activity and streamline product selection. NHS England will also provide necessary clinical support.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 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. 6.3 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. 6.4 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). 6.5 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. 6.6 NHS England will provide clinical support to NHS SC where necessary to support the delivery of the savings programmes.