About

 

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) was formed in 2000 to determine NHS procurement policy. It also had a significant operational role in negotiating £4 billion worth of contracts on behalf of the NHS where the national level was considered appropriate – for instance, for products and services of strategic importance and in commodity markets where NHS PASA could harness the purchasing power of the whole NHS.

 

NHS Logistics operated alongside NHS PASA. NHS Logistics purchased products from NHS PASA contracts, held them in central storage facilities and then distributed them to individual NHS trusts on demand.

 

In 2006, the logistics function was outsourced to DHL, and now operates as NHS Supply Chain. The new organisation has a contract for ten years and has been set a savings target of £1 billion over its duration.

 

In 2008, following an Office of Government Commerce led Capability Review, a new Commercial Operating Model was designed on behalf of the Department of Health and the NHS. This was published in May 2009, entitled ‘Necessity - not nicety’. This resulted in the disbanding of NHS PASA, with some of its work transferring to Buying Solutions, and may also lead to a change of emphasis for Collaborative Procurement Hubs.

 

Suppliers to the NHS need to understand the impact of these changes – some of which are still in their infancy – and their implications for the future use of resources. This conference will provide an opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers, from within the NHS and elsewhere, who will provide an insight into how procurement will operate in the future.