NHS Commercial

Consultation on eradicating modern slavery from healthcare supply chains    We’re pleased to announce the publication of a consultation into new modern slavery regulations and related NHS guidance.     The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will be creating regulations to eradicate the use of goods and services in the health service which are tainted by slavery and human trafficking. Accompanying NHS guidance will support commercial teams to meet the requirements of these regulations. As a major buyer of goods and services, the NHS has a significant amount of leverage that it can use to improve supplier practices, and is already required to comply with Government policy which forms the basis for these new regulations and guidance.     The new regulations will place legal duties upon public bodies to assess modern slavery risk in supply chains and take reasonable steps to eradicate risk in a proportionate and relevant way when buying goods and services for the health service.     All procurement on behalf of the health service is in scope of the regulations, including NHS bodies, framework providers and local authorities.    This public consultation is a chance for stakeholders to make their views known and help shape the final regulations and guidance.    We welcome the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including public bodies, suppliers, trade associations, interest groups and the public, and invite responses to the consultation by 6 February 2025. https://lnkd.in/eMv6__bs

For our final post in our #IWD Spotlight Series we have a double-header nomination. A colleague in the Commercial Directorate was very keen that Alexandra Hammond and Nicole Fletcher both got the recognition they deserve today. Here's what they had to say about Alex and Nicole:   'Both Alex and Nicole are strong female role models who are passionate about sustainability, social value and modern slavery.   Not only are they exceptionally impactful and impressive at their jobs, but they are a joy to work with. They have produced world class roadmaps and tools to help support the NHS in meeting its sustainability targets, all the while being truly uplifting to work with and for. It's safe to say that they always know how to make me smile.   It's no secret that Alex and Nicole have exceptionally busy lives with a whole host of external commitments outside of work and yet they continue to deliver for the Commercial Directorate time and time again. We're truly lucky to have them'   Happy International Women's Day Alex and Nicole! Thanks for following along with our Spotlight Series for #IWD - I hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have. 🎉

For our penultimate post of #IWD this year, we're putting a spotlight on the amazing Fiona Hilton, our Director of Commercial Best Practice and Engagement. Happy International Women's Day Fiona- here's why you deserve the nomination: 'Fiona joined the NHS 5 years ago to lead the NHS England commercial delivery team. She has an amazing array of credentials and leadership experience including attending a course run by Oxford Business School on Women in Leadership and being nominated for the Deloittes future Chief Procurement Officer course last year. Fiona plays such a vital role in working with over 4500 commercial individuals across the NHS system to identify new ways that the national team can support them and collaborate together in a challenging fiscal climate. What makes her such a success is her ambition and capacity to deliver at pace whilst adding real value. Fiona’s commitment to improving public services is an inspiration to those that work with her. Fiona really enjoys working with and for women in the workplace – she is evidently passionate about gender inclusion and really champions those returning from maternity with young children. She knows what a challenge this can be for women and wants to support them to be valuable senior players.  We’re really grateful for all the work that Fiona does.'

Our next #IWD nomination comes from both colleagues at NHS England and also at the Cabinet Office - Emily Caulfeild-Browne is making waves everywhere 🌊 Here's what Emily's NHS England colleagues had to say about her: 🗣️ 'Emily is a working mum, works 3 days a week and manages a tough role covering Cabinet Office controls. She liaises with all Trusts and feedback on their business cases. Work life balance I can imagine would be a weekly challenge, but Emily does a fabulous job overall and I would like her recognised for her resilience and work ethic. Emily has provided excellent leadership and tenacity in working through a complex roll-out programme, working three days a week, always showing up with a positive and proactive mindset.' 🎉 And here's what our Cabinet Office colleagues had to say about her: 🗣️ 'I would like to take a moment to highlight Emily's outstanding leadership and dedication, particularly in her role with the NHS Trusts' onboarding into Cabinet Office controls. Emily's contribution has been nothing short of exceptional. Her ability to navigate complex systems, multiple stakeholders and competing priorities to drive the set agenda of onboarding for NHS Trusts. Working with limited resources whilst finalising the onboarding process and starting a second cycle of pipeline submissions is a testament to her professionalism, strategic thinking, and commitment to achieving excellence. Emily’s ability to bring people together, provide guidance, and manage challenges with such grace and clarity showcases her strong leadership skills and her profound impact on the team and the wider organisation. It is with great pride that we celebrate her achievements, not just today, but every day' Happy International Women's Day Emily!

Next up in our #IWD Spotlight Series is the fantastic Rebecca Griffiths. Take a look at what her colleague said about Rebecca below. Happy International Women's Day Rebecca! 👋 'Rebecca’s experience and knowledge of working in clinical functions at a trust, regional and national level come in handy every day with her work leading to drive social value through procurement. She’s incredibly good at navigating the complexities of the NHS and helps keep everyone focused on the core principle of delivering for patients. Rebecca is a huge driving force for a positive team culture and collaboration. Thank you, Rebecca!'

Our very own, Head of Net Zero and Sustainable Procurement, Kelly Wilson, LLM MCIPS Chartered, is up next in our #IWD Spotlight Series across the Commercial Directorate. Here's what Kelly's colleagues had to say about her. Happy International Women's Day Kelly! 👏 'Kelly joined NHSE in October and got straight to work with making connections across NHS England and the wider system. She’s supportive, knowledgeable, hugely hard working and always seeking ways to build strong networks across the commercial community. She’s a fantastic new addition to the net zero and sustainable procurement team!'

Happy International Women's Day Everyone! 🎉 👏 As part of #IWD celebrations this year, we’ve asked colleagues across the Directorate to nominate other women who they think are deserving of recognition. Throughout today, we’ll be posting these nominations so keep your eyes peeled! First up for the spotlight is our very own Net Zero and Sustainability Lead, Daphne De Leener. Here's what her colleague had to say about her: 'Daphne is an incredible team player, always happy to help, and has the most incredible work ethic – she holds herself to the highest of standards and her work is just amazing as a result. Daphne makes work more fun and more meaningful every day through her inputs to the team, great ideas, funny GIFs and memes, and a genuine dedication to making a difference.' Happy #IWD Daphne!

Happy International Women’s Day Everyone! One of the most important aspects of the NHS is the fact that it is ‘universal’. It is something that we rightly take great national pride in that anyone and everyone is entitled to care free at the point of access However, delivering on the promise of our organisation is not a passive commitment to simply ‘caring for everybody.’ We know that it takes great consideration and proactive interest to ensure that services aren’t failing the people it hopes to serve. That’s why I’m really pleased to have seen the progress that NHS England has made in this area regarding women’s health recently, whether that’s through menopause guidance, the introduction of women’s health hubs or the implementation of the Women’s Health Strategy. We’re also making real progress about supporting the women that work for the NHS and in the Commercial world. Despite the fact that the Commercial and Finance world is traditionally dominated by men - anecdotally, every time I chair sessions with system procurement leads, I’m noticing that more and more of them are women. This is real tangible progress and it’s particularly reassuring to know that women are starting to realise that there are so many more roles for them in the NHS outside nursing and midwifery. But the next stage is ensuring that women’s voices are heard just as loudly as the male leads. It’s certainly one thing to make sure there’s enough women in the room, but it’s something else entirely when they’ve got an equal voice at the table. And this would be my call to arms for the women working both in Commercial and in the wider NHS – your voice has power, and the NHS and patients will only benefit when we hear it more. #NHSCommercial #IWD

ℹ️ NHS organisations are now able to access and utilise the updated terms and conditions to use for contracts issued under the Procurement Act 2023, for the contracting of goods and non-clinical services. ℹ️ The new documents also include updates in relation to Sustainability and Social Value, and Cyber Security. A Guidance document has been published to help users understand the changes, and how to implement the documents. You can find the new documents at the following link: https://lnkd.in/ecpYmszJ These new documents sit alongside the previous document versions, which are still relevant for contracts issued under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. As previously communicated, the next step that NHS England will take is to move to utilisation of the Cabinet Office model contracts, with suitable amendments making them appropriate for use in the NHS. We will be in touch with further information. If you have any queries or feedback, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing england.nhsecommercialgovernance@nhs.net.

❗ A new era begins for public sector procurement as the Procurement Act 2023 comes into force… Today a major public sector reform milestone is reached as the Procurement Act 2023 comes into force. The new regime applies to all public sector organisations and will speed up and simplify procurement processes - where approximately £385billion is spent each year on essential goods and services - making it easier for suppliers to bid for contracts and making buying decisions more transparent for the public. For the NHS this is an important moment. The new Act gives us a range of benefits, including: - A simpler and more flexible commercial system that better meets our needs including new flexibilities to procure innovative solutions for our policy/operational/delivery challenges; - Allowing us to open up public procurement to new market entrants such as small businesses and social enterprises; - Taking tougher action on underperforming suppliers and excluding suppliers who pose unacceptable risks. We have previously signposted a lot of the resources available, but if you have any questions about the changes and impact on you, then please contact the NHS England Commercial Governance Team (england.nhsecommercialgovernance@nhs.net). A reminder of the resources available: - Procurement Act 2023 short guides - links to leaflets and animations for stakeholders including suppliers and senior leaders - Supplier information - information and animated ‘how-to’ videos for suppliers - Knowledge Drops - a series of animations explaining the new Procurement Act to a senior or non-commercial audience, and suppliers including SMEs and VCSEs - Transforming Public Procurement - the main landing page on GOV.UK for all information and advice relating to the Procurement Act 2023 https://lnkd.in/epJj2zDE