Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the arrangements for central purchasing of non-medical equipment in the NHS are; and if he will make a statement.

Individual National Health Service hospital providers - NHS trusts and foundation trusts – are responsible and accountable for their own purchasing decisions of non-medical and medical equipment and all other supplies. However, the Government has put in place a range of initiatives to help NHS bodies make informed choices about the products and the route through which they are bought and thus deliver improved value for money for the NHS. NHS bodies can use a number of routes for procurement, including:

- Framework agreements negotiated on behalf of all Government bodies by the Crown Commercial Service;

- National framework agreements negotiated on behalf of the NHS by NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC);

- Regional agreements negotiated by, or on behalf of, NHS regional collaborative; and

- Local agreements negotiated by individual NHS bodies.

A new NHSSC model is being introduced, bringing together 11 expert procurement specialist teams to deliver high quality, clinically assured goods at the best possible price. This new operating model aims to increases national leverage of spend which will lead to lower costs and simplification of the number of products used across the NHS. The new NHSSC is aiming for an 80% market share of NHS goods supplied compared to the current 40%.