Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the administrative burden and costs incurred by SMEs when applying for NHS procurement opportunities.

In 2025/26, 10.5% of procurement expenditure for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and its arm’s-length bodies was awarded directly to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). DHSC does not centrally collect or hold equivalent data for National Health Service trusts or integrated care boards, which manage and report on their own procurement activity.

DHSC works regularly with colleagues across Government, including the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, on matters relating to procurement, economic growth, and investment. This includes consideration of how public procurement and NHS purchasing power can support growth, innovation, and opportunities across the United Kingdom, including for SMEs.

As a leading employer across the country, the NHS also continues to play its full part in supporting growth, training, and employment in local communities, in line with the Government's broader economic goals, and that includes ensuring procurement opportunities are available and accessible to SMEs.