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.

The Changing Face of Procurement in 2021 – Keeping you informed

Back in December, the Government published their Transforming Public Procurement Green Paper, with the goal of speeding up and simplifying procurement processes, placing value for money at their heart and enabling innovation in public service delivery. But what does this mean for UK buyers and suppliers and what challenges lie ahead in the coming months?

Here at BiP Solutions, we are delighted to announce an all-new series of monthly briefings and webinars specifically designed to help buyers and suppliers navigate the challenges which may arise in light of the proposed changes to the current procurement framework. Both the briefings and the accompanying webinars have been specifically tailored to help these organisations to ensure they can work effectively, compliantly and responsively in what is a dynamic and fast-changing environment.

We will also be hosting live events and creating other assets throughout 2021 and beyond, making sure we are supporting our clients through what will be one of the largest set of changes in the public sector procurement landscape for decades.

As well as the upcoming briefings and webinars, our research arm, BiP Inform will soon be releasing the report from our inaugural research project, aiming to give us a better understanding of the thoughts of public sector buyers and suppliers regarding the latest proposals.

‘The proposals within the Transforming Public Procurement Green Paper represent the largest changes to procurement process and practice in the UK for decades. At BiP Solutions we are tracking developments closely and have committed to ensuring our customers are the best informed about what these changes mean and how they should prepare for them. Exciting times lie ahead, but buyers and suppliers should engage with our campaign to ensure they have the information and insight they need to stay compliant and competitive as the proposals become policy and then practice’ (Grahame Steed, Content, Research and Communications Director, at BiP Solutions.)

For all updates and announcements regarding the Green Paper and other key developments in 2021, please visit our dedicated site: www.bip-inform.com

ENDS

New research reveals scale of public sector Brexit concerns

With the European Union having confirmed a delay to the UK’s departure from the EU, 31 October no longer marks ‘exit day.’ The so-called ‘flextension’ defers Brexit until the end of January, unless a deal is ratified before then. With the Prime Minister’s Withdrawal Agreement accepted in principle by Parliament, and an upcoming UK general election, the coming months will prove to be another crucial period in shaping precisely what form Brexit takes, and on what date the UK is no longer an EU member.

Against this backdrop, we are excited to reveal the results of our latest research survey, ‘Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Sector Buyers.’ This research project surveyed procurement leaders from throughout the public sector – from local and central government and the NHS to higher education and housing associations – for their predictions, concerns and aspirations around what effects Brexit will have on UK public procurement.

Ahead of our full key findings report, to be released soon, some of the survey’s headline statistics are below:

  • 58% of respondents feel that a ‘no-deal Brexit’ will have a worse effect on their procurement strategies than Brexit under the terms of a negotiated Withdrawal Agreement – with over half of this 58% suggesting the effect will be “significantly worse.” However, 31% of respondents believe that in terms of procurement, there will be no difference between a Brexit with or without a negotiated deal.

  • 45% of organisations say they still have no defined Brexit strategy in terms of supply chain management, with 61% of all respondents not currently having a strategy for a ‘no-deal’ scenario.

  • The most significant effect of Brexit for the public sector is believed to be the ability to control costs, with 66% of participants in our survey suggesting there will be either a high or medium impact in this area.

  • 61% of respondents are concerned about post-Brexit supply chain disruption affecting the delivery and quality of services.

  • A full 40% of respondents believe that Brexit will have little or no impact on their ability to engage with suppliers based outside the UK, and only 25% of buyers say they are concerned about their ability to engage with EU-based suppliers in future.

Our full survey report, detailing further findings and respondents’ profiles, will be available soon.

Visit www.bipsolutions.com/brexit to read all the latest updates, resources and guidance for what Brexit means for procurement. As the situation develops, BiP Solutions will continue to monitor the latest intelligence to provide you with the most up-to-date knowledge and guidance on the implications of Brexit on procurement, up to and beyond ‘exit day.’

BiP’s apprentices: where are they now?

Image result for national apprentice week

Here at BiP, we are strong supporters of the Modern Apprenticeship Programme. We have a proud history of developing apprentices throughout the business and have certainly reaped the benefits of doing so.

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we want to take this opportunity to reflect on the successes of our employees who joined the business through the programme.

Our apprentices – where are they now?

Scott McKechnie

Joined Business: September 2007

Apprenticeship programme: SVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Current role: Scott came into BiP as a Business Administrator and after completing his apprenticeship, moved to a role within our Helpdesk team. In 2012, Scott moved to our Public Sector Sales Team as a Customer Relationship Manager and progressed tremendously within the team. After spending a number of years as a Business Development Manager travelling all around the country to promote our services, Scott is now Sales Manager for the Public Sector Sales Team. What a success story!

Rory Denny

Joined business: November 2012

Apprenticeship programme: MVQ Level 3 marketing

Current role: After moving into the sales team of our Market Engagement division, Rory has now progressed to the role of Key Account Manager, driving revenue and managing strategic relationships with some of BiP Solutions’ key customer accounts.

Jodie Pratt

Joined business: January 2013

Apprenticeship programme: SVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Current role: Jodie currently works in our Accounts department as a Credit Controller and is undertaking training to become an accredited member of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM).

Heather Cooper

Joined business: April 2014

Apprenticeship programme: Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship

Current role: Having moved into the role of an Editorial Assistant after her apprenticeship, Heather has now been a Senior Client Services Executive for the past two years, particularly overseeing our client research survey projects.

Kyle Dearie

Joined business: August 2014

Apprenticeship programme: SVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Current role: Kyle now works in our Accounts department as a Business Administrator. In 2018, Kyle also completed the Digital Applications Advanced Modern Apprenticeship programme to further develop his digital skillset.

Robert Gough

Joined business: November 2016

Apprenticeship programme: SVQ Level 3 Business Administration

Current role: Robert originally joined the business as a Credit Controller. After receiving his Business Administration qualification, Robert also completed the Digital Applications Advanced Modern Apprenticeship programme and has since progressed to the role of Data Analyst.

Laure McGill

Joined business: April 2017

Apprenticeship programme: SCQF 6 – Digital Applications Advanced Modern Apprenticeship

Current role: Laure now works in our Research team as a Content Researcher where she is responsible for producing and editing content for a number of our business intelligence solutions.

Paul Docherty

Joined business: July 2017

Apprenticeship programme: SCQF 6 – Digital Applications Advanced Modern Apprenticeship

Current role: After 18 months of working in our Research team, Paul has now progressed to the role of Technical Helpdesk Advisor with responsibility for first line user support on our portfolio of products and services.

Christopher Doolan

Joined business: April 2018

Apprenticeship programme: SCQF 6 – Digital Applications Advanced Modern Apprenticeship

Current role: Chris, whilst working in our Accounts team as a Business Administrator, is currently in the process of completing the programme with one more module to go – nearly there Chris!

Each of these individuals demonstrate the importance, contribution and value of the Modern Apprentice model within the business. We look forward to the continued development of these employees as they develop their career within BiP!

To learn more about our business, roles that are currently available and apprenticeship opportunities, visit our Careers page.

BiP Solutions Limited is a company registered in Scotland with Company Number SC086146 and VAT number 383030966 and having its registered office at Medius, 60 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1DZ.

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