Healthcare Procurement in the NHS

1. Healthcare Procurement in the NHS Lisa Innes Senior Procurement Manager

2. OVERVIEW: • NHS Landscape • Procurement – Clinical / Non-clinical (transactional) • Contracting and common routes of Procurement • Open • Restricted • Any Qualified Provider (AQP) • Competitive Dialogue • Competitive Dialogue with Negotiation • Innovation Partnerships • Looking out for opportunities

3. HOW AGCSU SUPPORT: • Strategic Souring – a process that helps commissioners to define need through to contract management and performance monitoring • Provide advice and apply best practice to procurement activities • Act as a critical friend and challenge commissioners in their thinking, to identify possible alternative solutions, to ensure the procurement process is fit for purpose and to ensure the best outcomes will be achieved from the procurement process and resultant contracts • Manage the procurement process on behalf of commissioners, using electronic tools (e-Tender) to support the process • Ensure the process is fair, transparent and auditable • Provide an audit trail and compliant procurement process, minimising risk of challenge • Manage the dialogue with potential providers

4. Providers Commissioners NHS England Commissioners of Primary Care NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) Commissioners of health services for the local population - community care, emergency care, acute, non-acute, mental health, ambulatory and patient transport services Private/Independent Commissioning Support Units (CSUs) Providing commissioning support services Others Public Health England Responsible for national public health: such as immunisations and vaccinations. Local Authorities (LAs) Responsible for local public health issues: such as smoking cessation, drug and alcohol services, sexual health etc.

5. CCGS COMMISSIONING OBLIGATIONS: • Use of the current NHS Standard Contract for all clinical services procured • Use of the appropriate procurement route • Legal requirements – Public Contract Regulations 2015 • NHS (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No.2) Regulations 2013 (PPCCR). Made under Section 75 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 • To utilise appropriate procurement processes that are; • Proportionate • Fair • Non-Discriminatory • Transparent

6. WHAT IS AQP? • AQP is a commissioning route – where there is no competition in the application process • When a service is opened up to choice of ‘any qualified provider’, patients can choose from a range of providers all of whom meet NHS standards and price • Prices paid to providers will be determined in advance by commissioners. Either national tariff where it applies, or a locally agreed price. There is NO competition on price • Patients will choose based on quality and individual preferences and money will follow patients’ choices • Providers must respond to an offer on Contracts Finder and pass the national qualification process to ensure they meet the appropriate quality standards

7. AQP PROCESS APPLICATION WINDOW EVALUATION AND CLARIFICATION STAGE Contract Award + Service Mobilisation

8. WHERE DO I FIT IN? • Sole Provider – providing entire service with no sub-contracting or outsourcing • Lead Provider – responsible for the contract and its delivery but may or may not be delivering any of the service, and will have sub-contractors to deliver all or elements of the service • Consortia member / Partnership – responsible for the contract as part of a consortium or partnership, will usually be delivering part of the contract. (Exact responsibility depends upon the business arrangement between consortia / partnership members) • Sub-contractor – contracted to deliver all or part of a contract that is held by a lead provider or provider higher up the supply chain • Part of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Like being a consortia member but the consortia is set up so it is legally separate from members’ other companies

9. FINDING OPPORTUNITIES • Don’t just look at a contract advert and think “I can’t do all of that so there’s no point in wasting my time” • If you can provide part of that service, or think that what you do complements part or all of the contract on offer, think of your options • You may hold the key to that extra something – added value – to another organisations offer • Use advertised market engagement events, and events like these, to network • Research other organisations in your sector – how can you help them / complement them? • Make connections now – be ready to respond to tenders, rather than having to start from scratch finding partners / a lead provider etc. • Sell your organisation – make yourself known • Respond to market feedback requests - you’re the experts!

10. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk

11. https://uk.eu-supply.com/login.asp?B=UK

12. YOUR RESPONSE Read the questions carefully, and if you are not sure about something then ask! • Your Response can be copied & pasted • Max word character count per box – check your response fits well before the deadline! • Attachments (documents) are only allowed where asked for, and only what is asked for may be attached • Try and get someone else to proof read your responses

13. CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS – FROM YOU • If you don’t understand something in the documentation, you can ask a clarification question. • There will be a deadline for clarification questions to be asked – make sure you take note of this as soon as the opportunity is published. • All clarification questions must be sent to us via the messaging system on the procurement portal (eu_supply), no other methods of communication will be accepted.

14. CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS – TO YOU • The evaluation panel looking at your application may need to seek clarity on something you’ve put. • This isn’t an opportunity to give applicants a second chance, but to clarify information already presented. • Don’t rely upon “we’ll just tell them more when they ask clarifications”, we do not have a duty to seek clarity – it is the responsibility of the applicant to include all relevant detail for that question originally. • You must respond to any clarifications within the deadline stipulated.

15. HELP! If you are having difficulty understanding the questions or you have queries about the service or application form, contact Arden and GEM CSU using the messaging function within that opportunity on Bravo If you are having difficulty navigating or using the website please contact the EU Supply helpdesk: • Phone: 0800 840 2050 during office hours ONLY (08.00 to 17.00) • E-mail: uksupport@eu-supply.com

16. Useful Links Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk EU Supply: uksupport@eu-supply.com Source Derbyshire http://www.sourcederbyshire.co.uk/

17. CONTACT DETAILS – NORTH TEAM: Doug Hershaw - Associate Director Procurement doug.hershaw@nhs.net Lisa Innes– Head of Procurement Lisa.innes@ardengemcsu.nhs.uk Tel: 01332 888014