DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2008/0086) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 16
September 2008
An online
advertising service that will help 'hook up' NHS
providers with healthcare suppliers was announced today by Health
Minister Ben Bradshaw.
Speaking at the Laing and Buisson Independent Healthcare
Convention, he set out how the new website, NHS Supply2Health will
make it easier for Primary Care Trust (PCT) commissioners to
advertise health and social care services they require and for
suppliers to identify business opportunities within the NHS.
From Wednesday 1 October 2008, all NHS commissioners will be
required to post information about tendering opportunities and
contract awards on the site, making it easier for suppliers to
track down single opportunities and understand exactly what PCTs
want. For commissioners, Supply2Health will help meet their legal
requirements to advertise and potentially increase the number of
suppliers responding to their adverts by reaching a wider audience.
It will also offer services, including emailing subscribers where
new opportunities are posted that match the health and social care
services they provide.
Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said:
"We are committed to make it easier to do business with the
NHS. And in complex healthcare market we realise it's not
easy to find the perfect match.
"Talking to providers of all types, what was keeping people
awake at night was the thought they may have missed an
opportunity. That there was a PCT out there in need of exactly
what they had to offer, but they simply didn't know about
each other.
"With no one place for PCTs to advertise, contract or
tendering ads can appear in all number of places, and can be
easily missed. The new online service NHS Supply2Health will
ensure well matched suppliers and contractors can hook up.
"NHS Supply2Health will sit alongside existing regulations
and make it easier to comply with European Union procurement regulations."
Notes to editors:
1. The EU Procurement Directives set out the legal framework for
public procurement. These Directives are implemented in UK law by
Regulations. Health care services come under Part B of EU
advertising rules, where only some of the EU procurement rules
apply. More information can be found from the Office of Government
Commerce website (http://www.ogc.gov.uk).
2. PCTs are being supported in the rollout of NHS Supply2Health,
including training and have been asked to provide two nominated
leads on NHS Supply2Health, one of which must be a board level
member of staff. Five training events will take place across
England during September 2008 to ensure that PCTs can use the
system. Supply2Health system has been piloted in PCTs in the South
Central SHA region since June 2008.
3. NHS Supply2Health covers both health and social care
services. The latter may be commissioned jointly with the local
authority; however, use of NHS Supply2Health is required only
where the PCT is the lead contracting authority.
4. NHS Supply2Health is currently hosted by the NHS Purchasing
and Supply Agency (NHS PASA). The website (http://www.supply2health.nhs.uk)
will be accessible to the public from 1 October 2008.