
First NHS Total Orthopaedic Solutions procurement framework is now live
Collaboration between the four NHS procurement hubs has resulted in the successful delivery of the first NHS Total Orthopaedic Solutions framework agreement, and will enable NHS trusts to better leverage their spend in this market.
The four Hubs – NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC), NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP), NHS Commercial Solutions and East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub (EOE CPH) – have worked together as the NHS Collaborative Procurement Partnership (CPP) and this is the second project to come to fruition. In May 2014, CPP launched the National Collaborative Framework for the supply of Nursing and Nursing Related Staff which is now being used by 123 trusts across England. A further collaborative framework agreement – NHS Total Cardiology Solutions – is on schedule for going live on 1st April 2015.
Keith Rowley, NOE CPC Managing Director, points out that “a key objective of this collaboration is to avoid duplication of effort, addressing one of the main areas of concern raised by the DH in its 2013 publication Better Procurement Better Value Better Care.”
As LPP’s Medical, Surgical and Supply Chain senior workstream lead Marc Osborne says, “We have awarded a total solutions framework agreement that for the first time sees contract coverage across the hubs’ membership including product areas not previously taken to market. Our priority will be to deliver benefits and solutions for our respective hub members but we have structured the framework agreement so that it can apply nationally, further simplifying procurement in this category.”
This activity is, as Alyson Brett, Chief Executive of NHS Commercial Solutions says “once again demonstrating best practice for NHS procurement.”
The scope of the project was developed by a cross-hub group of procurement and clinical experts, and the final awarded framework includes
- Orthopaedic Hip Arthroplasty
- Orthopaedic Knee Arthroplasty
- Orthopaedic Extremities Arthroplasty
- Orthopaedic Trauma, Implants and Consumables
- Spine
- Arthroscopy/Sports Medicine
- Bone Preparation
- Orthopaedic Power Tools and Consumables
- Regenerative Technology
- Orthopaedic Generic Instrumentation
David John, Chief Executive of EOE CPH concludes that “”By working together, and combining national buying power with our strong regional and local engagement, we can deliver highly competitive agreements that really meet the needs of the NHS, of suppliers and above all of patients. Our next activity is the development of a Total Cardiology Solutions framework agreement, due to go live on 1st April 2015.”