Biggest-ever P4H England a huge success

With a major shake-up of the NHS being implemented just a few days previously ‒ as Integrated Care Systems went live ‒ P4H England 2022 was sure to have plenty of talking points, and it certainly did not disappoint.

One of the largest gatherings of healthcare procurement professionals that P4H has ever hosted, this year’s event was a huge success.

After two years of limited face-to-face meetings, P4H England bounced back with people delighted to be meeting up again and some experiencing their very first procurement event.

The mood across the exhibition hall was incredibly positive, with delegates, exhibitors and speakers enjoying a full day of knowledge sharing, innovation and best practice.

Change & resilience

Change, resilience, social value and sustainability were key talking points across the whole arena.

The Keynote Arena was standing room only for every one of our speakers, while both the Procurement Skills and Supply Chain & Innovation Zones were also busy all day, with delegates learning about tendering in the healthcare sector and how procurement is changing across the sector.

We were delighted to welcome speakers from across the NHS and the Health Care Supply Association (HCSA) to our keynote stage, which was hosted by Chair Alyson Brett, Chief Executive Officer, NHS Commercial Solutions, who commented: “The NHS is going through a period of incredible challenge and transformation as we wrestle with the ongoing effects of the pandemic, supply chain vulnerabilities, structural change and rising costs.

“But adversity is a powerful driver of progress and there are exciting opportunities ahead of us too.

“If Covid has taught us anything it is that we are incredibly resilient and can overcome any obstacle or barrier in our path.”

Hitting targets

The opening address was given jointly by David Williams, Director of Procurement, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and Preeya Baillie, Director of Procurement Transformation and Commercial Delivery, NHS England and NHS Improvement, who both talked to a packed house about sustainability and resilience within the NHS supply chain, current legislation changes, and the lessons learned from the pandemic.

Andy Windsor, Commercial Director at NHS Supply Chain, also held a popular session, discussing how NHS Supply Chain is critical to delivering value for the NHS, which will result in better patient outcomes. He was followed by Keith Rowley, Managing Director, NOE CPC & Chief Officer, Health Care Supply Association, who gave an interesting insight into the view from the NHS Procurement Profession, and learning to adapt and change to a new procurement regime as the Procurement Bill is introduced.

Delivering efficiencies

While the world listened to a certain resignation speech, the delegates at P4H were fully focused on the session hosted by Simon Walsh, Group Procurement Director & Joint GM Procurement Lead, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and what he had to say about NHS procurement and how top-quality procurement and trained staff can help deliver efficiencies and savings.

Interest did not wane as we introduced our final speakers of the day, as the arena remained crowded. Michelle McCann, Director for Sustainability at NHS London Procurement Partnership, focussed on tackling sustainability within the procurement arena and the NHS journey to net zero ‒ an increasingly important part of the NHS ‒ and about how suppliers can help achieve these ambitions.

Finally, Liam Horkin, Head of Clinical Procurement with East Suffolk North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, who talked about the impact procurement can have on the NHS, patients and staff.

Officially supported by NHS Supply Chain

P4H England is officially supported by NHS Supply Chain. Visitors to the NHS Supply Chain Pavilion met with NHS Supply Chain representatives to learn more about the work they do and how organisations can supply to the healthcare sector. The Pavilion, as always, was incredibly popular, with many delegates keen to know the latest procurement opportunities and tendering best practice.

NHS Supply Chain manages the sourcing, delivery and supply of healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales.

Skills & learning

Another huge draw on the day was our skills and learning zones, where experts provided invaluable advice on tendering in healthcare. Phil Kinnell, Senior Procurement Consultant, PASS Procurement and Eddie Regan, Principal Consultant, PASS Procurement, hosted several sessions which will help suppliers put together more attractive bids.

Specialised sessions on social value and sustainability were also held. Social value is becoming more important within public sector procurement, while improving sustainability across suppliers will help the NHS achieve its net zero ambitions.

Sustainable supply chain

Martin Toomey, Sustainability Manager for NHS Supply Chain, held a popular session on delivering a sustainable supply chain. Later on, we saw Stuart Watkins, Health Strategy Manager at Crown Commercial Service, talk about taking a pragmatic approach to securing sustainability outcomes through procurement?

Exhibitors in our Product Showcase area were kept busy throughout the day, showcasing innovations and solutions to a stream of visitors. The showcase provided an invaluable opportunity to engage and develop new and existing partnerships with a wealth of leading suppliers who are actively delivering a diverse range of innovative products and services that can support both current and future procurement requirements.

The sheer range of suppliers and innovations available for the healthcare market is a good indicator of the volume and diversity of opportunities available within the market.

For more information on P4H and to register your interest for next year click here.

Integrated Care Systems – what it means for our customers

Friday 1 July sees Integrated Care Systems take over from Clinical Commissioning Groups – one of the most significant changes in NHS procurement for many years.

Here at BiP, we have been working hard to ensure our brands and clients have all the information required to take advantage of this change.

The research team has been busy updating our extensive NHS contacts database with details of the 42 new ICS organisations and the staff who will be working within them.

Our research is meticulous – after all, this is much more than a public sector re-branding exercise. New organisations, new roles, new responsibilities and new routes to engagement – it’s a major change that any business supplying to the NHS needs to be across.

We’ll be publishing transition updates on the Cadence Marketing website and our upcoming P4H England event on 7 July will provide further insights into the changes and what they mean for the NHS supply chain.

P4H England

Speakers at P4H England include Alyson Brett, Chief Executive of NHS Commercial Services; David Williams, Chief Commercial Officer and Director of Procurement at NHS England and NHS improvement; Preeya Bailie nee Madhoo MCIPS, Director Of Procurement Transformation and Commercial Delivery at NHS Improvement; Andy Windsor, Commercial Director of NHS Supply Chain; Keith Rowley, Managing Director of the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC); Simon Walsh MCIPS, Group Procurement Director and Joint GM Procurement Lead at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Michelle McCann, Director for Sustainability at the NHS London Procurement Partnership and Liam Horkin, Head of Clinical Procurement at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

P4H England is sure to provide delegates with a wealth of information on the health sector, the new change to ICSs and how you can become a supplier.

What is an ICS?

Integrated care systems (ICSs) are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area.

Each ICS includes a broad alliance of partners concerned with improving the care, health and wellbeing of the population, with membership determined locally.

The move brings local authorities in the ICS area, which are responsible for social care and public health functions as well as other vital services for local people and businesses, together with the health care providers to create a more cohesive service.

By collaborating on these healthcare services, providers will achieve the benefits of working at scale across multiple places and one or more ICSs, to improve quality, efficiency and outcomes.

Transforming healthcare procurement at P4H England

The UK’s premier healthcare procurement event, P4H England, returned to the NEC, Birmingham on 4 July 2019. The event welcomed over 1500 delegates from the NHS, the wider healthcare sector and the private sector supply chain, with a packed schedule including keynote talks, training and knowledge exchange sessions, and many opportunities for buyers and suppliers to meet and discuss their needs.

Many of the day’s sessions had standing room only, demonstrating both the quality of the talks on offer and the enthusiasm of the P4H audience.

You can see some of the day’s highlights here, and read more below:

Keynote Arena

The Keynote Arena witnessed a plethora of talks from procurement leaders from throughout the healthcare sector, as well as a motivational lecture from world-famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Chair Glen Hodgson kicked off the day by suggesting that “our job today is to avoid the noise and think strategically – focusing on the great work done by colleagues to make the NHS safe.” Stephen Foulser, Customer Engagement Director at NHS Supply Chain, delivered the first talk of the day, reflecting on a year of the new NHS Supply Chain Operating Model. Next up, Michael Pace, Managing Director of Corporate Services at the NHS London Procurement Partnership, stressed the importance of collaborative work to efficient procurement. Mr Pace said that despite the huge changes that have come to bear on NHS procurement over the last 12 months, and what he understands as areas where improvements still need to be made, there was much to be positive about.

“I’m more excited by the opportunities in front of me than I ever have been as an NHS procurement professional before.” – Michael Pace, Managing Director, Corporate Services, NHS London Procurement Partnership

Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ lecture proved to be the day’s main draw for many attendees, with delegates queueing several rows back from the Keynote Arena to hear about the explorer’s experiences over more than 50 years across Oman, the River Nile, Vancouver, Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. Sir Ranulph emphasised the importance of teamwork, framing all his expeditions as the achievements of a dedicated team. Aside from the focus on collaboration, the relevance of Sir Ranulph’s talk to a healthcare audience was made obvious through his sharing of several graphic photos detailing the after-effects of severe frostbite!

ranulph-fiennes-p4h-england

Sir Ranulph Fiennes delivers his keynote lecture

The afternoon at the Keynote Arena was equally busy, with talks including Pia Larsen, Director of Procurement and Supply Chain at University College London NHS Foundation Trust, delivering a detailed case study of what transforming procurement at a particular trust looks like. The theme of asking what ‘collaboration’ looks like, and how it can change NHS procurement, continued with two talks about the experience in different parts of Greater Manchester, from Neil Hind, Procurement Lead at the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, and Joe Lever, Group Procurement Director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group. The final keynote talk of the day saw Tom Wynne, Head of Procurement for London at NHS Improvement, talking about the forthcoming Procurement Target Operating Model, allowing delegates to see some of the ways in which NHS procurement is set to be reshaped in the coming months and years.

Market Support and Engagement Zone

The Market Support and Engagement Zone at P4H England 2019 allowed suppliers to understand how they could best engage earlier with buyers across the NHS and beyond. Teams representing Tracker, Supply2Gov, Cyber Essentials and Market Engagement heard first-hand about some of the challenges faced by the private sector and were able to offer expert advice on how to leverage best-in-class tools to improve tender win rates and identify strategic business opportunities. Delegates were also able to visit the on-stand juice blend bar, which proved unsurprisingly popular on a very warm day!

“We’d like to say a massive thank-you to Tru Foo, our juice suppliers, for keeping us and the delegates refreshed throughout the day. We had some really insightful conversations with suppliers looking to increase their visibility in the public sector market, and we hope that each of them left the stand with actionable information that helps them grow their business in this market.” – Susan Staley, Head of Digital Marketing, BiP Solutions

BiP Solutions customers were also offered exclusive access to the VIP lounge, providing a quiet space throughout the day to catch up with colleagues and emails, enjoy refreshments and attend several VIP-only talks.

Health Online

As the official media partner of P4H, Health Online was proud to be represented at the event. Interest in Health Online’s dedicated online healthcare community proved high, with a talk from Health Online Sales Manager Soafyaan Zia seeing delegates literally queueing out of the door to attend! You can learn more via Health Online’s own P4H review.

Soafyaan Zia delivering a talk on Health Online at P4H England

Soafyaan Zia’s talk introduced delegates to Health Online

What’s next?

Scotland’s and Wales’ procurement communities will come together later this year at Procurex Scotland on 29 October in Glasgow and Procurex Wales on 7 November in Cardiff. Register today or learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.

There’s also still time to enter your procurement team or project for the prestigious GO Awards, with presentation ceremonies taking place on the evenings of Procurex Scotland and Procurex Wales. Share your procurement success stories here!

Collaboration in Healthcare Supply Chains: P4H

Jim Miller NHSNHS National Services Scotland is a national NHS board which provides help and support to NHS Scotland. Jim Miller, NHS National Services Scotland’s Interim Director Procurement, Commissioning and Facilities, will be at the keynote arena at the P4H 2016 conference in Birmingham on 13 July to delivering an unmissable speech. Ahead of the event, BiP Solutions journalist Domhnall Macinnes caught up with Mr Miller to hear about collaborative procurement and the future of UK healthcare procurement.

Background

Jim Miller has a wide variety of procurement experience across both the public and private sectors. He worked in sectors ranging from aviation to construction to public administration prior to joining NHS Scotland in 2006 as Director of Strategic Sourcing. In September 2015 he became Interim Director of Procurement, Commissioning and Facilities at NHS National Services Scotland.

Mr Miller said: “I lead a strategic business unit which encompasses the national collaborative procurement organisation, which provides contract and supply chain solutions across all 22 Scottish health organisations. Additionally, the organisation provides specialist commissioning and population screening services, and is the centre of expertise for facilities, engineering and environmental management.”

A piece of collaborative advice

Mr Miller discussed collaborative procurement and its importance, and had some advice for buyers considering it. Collaborative procurement is aimed at aiding the Scottish public sector to form partnerships between buying organisations, the Centres of Expertise (CoE) and suppliers, creating real value for money.

He counselled: “Don’t be afraid! There are lots of examples where this has worked really well. Equally, the venture is only as good as the weakest link.

“We have recently developed a new type of collaborative arrangement in Scotland where the strength lies with the members, who effectively self-regulate the system. We will not achieve further productivity gains, embrace innovation or truly support the health service if we work in isolation.”

Work together

Mr Miller also had advice for suppliers thinking of selling to collaborative procurement ventures. It is his firm view that buyers and suppliers must work together.

He commented: “Work with them. Understand that they (the buyers) may be trying to gauge the benefit of collaboration as well. Identify how the collaboration can be of mutual benefit by, for example, reducing the ‘cost to serve’ and identify how this can translate to commercial advantage.

“Also be aware of the cost of change; it will be more complex to implement across multiple sites than a single site, for example, but it also provides opportunities to standardise and support single systems of care.”

A problem and a solution

Mr Miller says that increasing demand and decreasing budgets is the primary challenge facing UK healthcare today. He argues that a move to a preventative healthcare system is vital, and procurement needs to be taking this on board in order to be prepared.

Thankfully, however, as he notes, NHS National Services Scotland is already taking steps to prepare for these challenges.

He explained: “We are the largest shared service organisation in Scotland. We currently provide a range of services including procurement and supply chain but also, for example, central legal services, payment services to primary care, counter-fraud services and health information services, amongst others. The ability to provide a complete range of services allows Health Boards to concentrate on the delivery of patient care and preventative healthcare.”

The future

Concluding, Mr Miller looked to the near future of UK healthcare procurement and the changes that he foresees occurring. He discussed three primary areas he feels should most be focused on. He touched again on collaboration and preventative healthcare, but said he hopes to see collaborative relationships evolving into something more.

Mr Miller said: “I would concentrate on three areas. Firstly, collaboration maturing into true partnering, which includes the market and providers as well as the health service. The phrase is used a lot but there is a long way to go.

“Secondly, the move towards a preventative healthcare culture and increased patient decision-making will require very different commercial and delivery models.

“Thirdly, to reference Simon Syneck, start with the why. In other words, it’s very easy to concentrate on savings, delivery performance, product and service availability and so on. We are all here to serve the patient and improve the health of the population. Plugging this into the procurement DNA will, I believe, continue to motivate the healthcare procurement community.”

On P4H

The good news for delegates attending this year’s P4H conference at the NEC, Birmingham is that Mr Miller will be in attendance for the entire event and is offering one-on-one sessions on the day or with prior notice.

With regard to the event itself, Mr Miller touched on P4H’s value in promoting best procurement practice.

He said: “The health landscape is changing dramatically and procurement has a significant part to play in making the changes successful and sustainable. Sharing and learning from colleagues within health and, just as importantly, the market is key. P4H provides this opportunity in one place.

“The whole event looks very interesting. For me one of the primary benefits is to interact with colleagues working in other parts of the health system across the UK.”

How P4H can help you

This year’s P4H event is set to offer a prime occasion for collaboration, with the PH4 Collaboration Zones providing delegates the chance to learn about both buyer and supplier opportunities.

Delegates will be offered the chance to network with buyers in the Buyer Engagement Village, boosting your peer contact list.

Delegates will also have the unique opportunity to meet with representatives of the NHS and furthermore hear advice from industry experts in the same prime location.

Don’t miss your chance to attend.

Register for P4H today

Sharing Healthcare Procurement Best Practice: P4H

John Swords

While healthcare authorities across the UK’s devolved nations differ in structure and funding, they face the common challenges of budget cuts and aging populations. Suggesting how these challenges can be tackled is Head of Procurement in the Health Service Executive Ireland, John Swords. Mr Swords will be speaking at the P4H conference on 13 July, at the NEC Birmingham. BiP Solutions journalist Julie Shennan heard some of his insights ahead of the conference.

Background

John Swords was appointed Head of Procurement in the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2010. His 30-year career in HSE has seen him work both in its Finance and Procurement departments. Now Mr Swords is responsible for the strategic operational development and management of all procurement-related activity in the HSE.

The Problem

In his role, Mr Swords examines ways of addressing Ireland’s decreasing health budget and aging population, a combination which puts strain on healthcare resources.

He said: “The money being invested into health sector procurement is shrinking while the demand for services is growing, so we have to create efficiencies that will reduce costs and make services sustainable.”

The Solution

Once efficient procurement models are found, Mr Swords explained they must be translated into benefits for the patient, monitored and communicated, so that stakeholders understand their value and support their implementation.

He said: “If we manage to positively impact the patient experience, then we can use this experience to convince senior management to invest time and effort into procurement change.”

Best Practice Example

Mr Swords is doing just that while working on Ireland’s ‘One Voice’ project. This project involves a three-year HSE Procurement Plan based around improving its sourcing, logistics and systems while showing the benefits they will bring to front line services.

The Head of Procurement said: “Misconceptions about procurement are still barriers when it comes to efficient supply chains. But I think that in the future people will have a better idea of the real impact healthcare procurement has on patients.”

Future Forecast

Continuing to look to the future, Mr Swords predicted that healthcare will continue to focus on collaborative solutions.

He said: “I think the future of healthcare will involve central solutions, but delivering them at a more local or regional level.”

This means public and private sector stakeholders working more closely together towards the same goals.

Mr Swords explained: “Some of the procurement decisions that need to be made can’t be, because we haven’t the harmony between public sector and third sector health organisations.

“The biggest challenge that we face in the health sector is that we are mandated to be a single entity, but we are not there yet; so we have to change the way we work. “

P4H

Mr Swords will be on hand to discuss this and many more issues, at P4H following his keynote speech.

He said: “We want people to know that the Health Service Executive is open for business.”

P4H will allow delegates to share pearls of wisdom through its Buyer Engagement Village, Product Showcase Exhibition and Collaboration Zones, Keynote Arena, Best Practice Case Study Zone and Procurement Advice Hub.

Meanwhile, e-procurement products and services will be demonstrated live on the P4H conference floor, giving guidance to those seeking to boost their business, while e-procurement will also be the focus of one of the Training Zones.

In addition, the Buyer Skills Development, Supplier and Best Practice Case Study Training Zones will offer CPD certified sessions to reinforce and expand on the advice and ideas available throughout P4H.

Don’t miss your chance to attend.

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