Procurement frameworks save £16 million for public sector in 2017

3 Apr 2018 10:43 AM

To ensure the NHS and wider public sector can buy goods and services at best value for money, whilst also being fully compliant with complex procurement legislation, we have developed and manage over 70 framework agreements that represent multi-million pound savings for the public purse.

In 2017, our carefully negotiated and ready-to-use contracts delivered over £16 million worth of savings to the public sector, as hundreds of organisations purchased a huge range of products and services via our frameworks, taking advantage of typical savings of at least five per cent compared to buying direct from a supplier.

And with new frameworks launching this year and subsequent public sector savings likely to be around £20 million, it is easy to see why more and more NHS trusts, local authorities and government agencies – as well as many other public sector bodies – are taking advantage of our existing and newly-launched framework agreements in 2018.

Modular Buildings, for instance, was the first national agreement of its kind, covering offsite building solutions for purchase, hire and lease. The increasingly popular modular construction, is a process whereby a building is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designed to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities, but in about half the time. Since the framework was launched last year it has been used to build clinics, classrooms and offices, providing around £1 million savings combined to the organisations purchasing through it.

Other good examples of where we have developed innovative frameworks that meet the modern day needs of our public services include; Workforce Wellbeing, which incorporates Occupational Health, Employee Assistance Programmes and Optical Services;  Construction Consultancy Services, covering areas such as architectural services, quantity surveying, health & safety and environmental services; and Testing for drugs of abuse at the point of care, which brings together some of the leading providers of drugs testing products in a ‘one-stop-shop’, with results used by hospitals, emergency services and law enforcement organisations to ensure patients receive the correct treatment.

As well as the obvious cost savings, the NHS SBS framework agreements mean there is less time spent on complex procurements. The robust procurement process has already taken place and all tender specific requirements are met by the suppliers listed on a particular framework. This means our framework users can make direct purchases from a listed supplier or run mini-tenders as per their individual requirements.

Our extensive range of framework agreements can be viewed here and the NHS SBS expert procurement team is available to answer any queries at NSBS.contractenquiries@nhs.net or on 0161 212 3940.

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