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BHTA members supplying defibrillators are encouraged to review a tender opportunity from North East London NHS Foundation Trust for 22 new Philips FRX defibrillators, including cases.
The contract covers the supply and delivery of the defibrillators and their cases in the UK. All devices must be new; refurbished equipment will not be accepted.
The procurement is being conducted through a below-threshold open competition.
Tenders will be assessed on best value for the exact items required, alongside the best delivery timescales.
Tender submissions must be made electronically through MultiQuote under reference RA360947, where the technical specifications are also available.
The deadline for both enquiries and tender submissions is 12pm on 26 October 2026.
Enquiries should be directed to jodie.roe2@nhs.net.
BHTA members supplying patient lifting and moving equipment are encouraged to review a tender opportunity from North East London NHS Foundation Trust for the supply and delivery of 11 new mobile patient hoists.
The hoists will be used in an inpatient setting at Orsett Hospital, supporting patient transfers between beds, chairs, and wheelchairs.
The trust requires hoists with a powered lifting system, a minimum safe working load of 130kg, and a base suitable for use beneath low beds.
Delivery will be to Orsett Hospital in Thurrock. Quotations must include all delivery charges to this location.
This tender is suitable for suppliers of mobile patient hoists designed for inpatient use.
The procurement is being conducted through a below-threshold open competition.
Quotations will be evaluated on quality and price, considering how well the proposed hoists meet the requirements, their suitability for inpatient use, durability, and ease of use. The price assessment will include delivery costs, and the contract will be awarded to the supplier offering the best overall value.
All quotations must be submitted electronically through MultiQuote by 12pm on 2 November 2026.
The deadline for enquiries is 12pm on 1 November 2026. Enquiries should be directed to jodie.roe2@nhs.net.
NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) has provided suppliers with updates on its Commercial Transformation Programme, cyber security requirements, and approach to social value as part of its latest supplier webinar.
The webinar outlined plans for earlier engagement with suppliers ahead of tenders, progress towards a new procurement platform, and further clarification on the Single Transacted National Price (STNP).
As part of its Commercial Transformation Programme, NHSSC said it wants to engage suppliers earlier during the tendering process.
This will include earlier sharing of tender scope and requirements, regular touchpoints, and in-person engagement potentially up to a year before a tender enters the market.
NHSSC said the approach should give suppliers greater visibility of what will be required and when, helping them plan their tender responses while reducing the need for additional information later in the process. The changes are beginning now for new tender activity.
NHSSC is also progressing plans for a single digital platform covering areas including procurement pipeline visibility, procurement activity, and contract management.
The work follows supplier engagement in May and June, which generated more than 20 recommendations. Simplifying data sharing, reducing duplicated documentation, and improving visibility of upcoming procurement activity were identified as key priorities.
NHSSC aims to identify its preferred platform by April 2027, with go-live targeted for late summer 2027.
Following its previous update on STNP, NHSSC reiterated that the long-term pricing model is intended to reduce unwarranted price variation and aggregate demand across the NHS.
Importantly for suppliers, NHSSC stressed that STNP is not intended to restrict customer choice or product ranges. The organisation said it wants to balance the advantages of national scale with the flexibility for customers to select products appropriate to their clinical settings.
Implementation will be gradual, with suppliers expected to be involved in shaping future pricing mechanisms as existing approaches are phased out.
NHSSC also reinforced the cyber security requirements outlined during its June supplier webinar, including Cyber Essentials Plus for suppliers in scope of Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 014 and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) for applicable suppliers processing NHS patient data.
The webinar provided further detail on NHSSC’s high-risk supplier process. Cyber risk is monitored using Dun & Bradstreet data, with suppliers receiving a cyber risk score. Those scoring below 70 are considered high risk and may be contacted to complete additional due diligence.
NHSSC said scores can change over time and that suppliers dropping below the threshold may subsequently be contacted. It also acknowledged concerns about duplication between different cyber assurance requirements and said it is working to align its approach with NHS England’s Cyber Improvement Programme where possible.
The update came as NHSSC was responding to supply disruption following a cyber attack affecting Boston Scientific. NHSSC said information about the incident remained limited at the time of the webinar and encouraged suppliers to remain vigilant.
NHSSC confirmed that its current approach to social value in procurement will remain in place while it awaits further guidance following updates to the government’s social value procurement policy.
Suppliers will continue to be asked to outline the social value opportunities they can provide. These are published on framework contract launch pages, enabling NHS customers to identify opportunities relevant to local priorities.
NHSSC also emphasised that organisations of different sizes have different capacities to deliver social value and said its approach is intended to allow suppliers to demonstrate opportunities appropriate to their business.
Further guidance is expected in the coming months, while the October supplier webinar is due to cover the 2027 sustainability milestone and its implications for procurements from April 2027.
The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has produced a new report analysing product spend within the NHS Supply Chain Framework for Artificial Limb Components and Associated Products. This information is exclusively available to BHTA members.
The report has been made possible through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the BHTA to NHS Supply Chain, giving members valuable visibility into NHS procurement activity that is not routinely available.
Covering the period 23 November 2024 to 21 November 2025, the report provides an overview of product spend, usage, monthly activity, and purchasing patterns across the prosthetics framework.
The findings offer members a useful opportunity to better understand procurement trends and market dynamics within the prosthetics sector, supporting informed strategic decision-making.
Members of the Prosthetics and Orthotic Section can download the full report here.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is developing a new initiative known as the MedTech Compass, designed to support more effective and consistent procurement decisions across the NHS. While still in development, the MedTech Compass represents a move towards a more streamlined, value-focused approach to how medical technologies are assessed and adopted.
Here’s what BHTA members need to know about the MedTech Compass.
At its core, the MedTech Compass is intended to enable smarter procurement decisions by allowing NHS organisations to compare products side by side based on value rather than price alone. It is designed so that a single set of supplier data can be submitted once and reused across multiple procurement processes.
This approach aims to support more consistent and transparent decision-making, reduce duplication across NHS procurement, and improve efficiency for both suppliers and buyers. The MedTech Compass has been described as a comparison-style tool, intended to support procurement teams and clinicians in making more informed choices.
The MedTech Compass is currently progressing through its development phases. The programme began with a discovery phase to assess user needs and market challenges. This has been followed by the alpha phase (November 2025 to March 2026), where concepts are being tested through a prototype. A beta phase is expected during the 2026/27 financial year to build and test the full system, followed by a live service rollout across the NHS in 2027/28.
The alpha phase has recently passed a Government Digital Service assessment with a Green rating. DHSC is expected to progress to procurement for the beta phase through an Invitation to Tender, with the beta likely to begin in summer 2026 and run for approximately 12 months.
For suppliers, the MedTech Compass has the potential to reduce administrative burden and simplify engagement with NHS procurement.
By enabling a “submit once, use many times” approach to data, it should reduce the need to repeatedly provide the same information across different procurement exercises, improve clarity around requirements, and support more predictable and consistent evaluation criteria.
At the same time, suppliers will need to ensure that their product data is comprehensive, accurate, and aligned with the value-based metrics the MedTech Compass is expected to prioritise.
The MedTech Compass is intended to support NHS procurement teams and clinicians by providing a structured way to assess and compare technologies.
Rather than focusing solely on price, the system is expected to incorporate a broader definition of value, including factors such as clinical outcomes, system efficiency, and wider benefits to the healthcare system.
By standardising how information is presented and assessed, the MedTech Compass aims to reduce variation across organisations and support faster, more consistent decision-making.
For additional context on wider medtech policy developments, members can read our previous article on the MedTech Strategy and DHSC initiatives.
BHTA members involved in NHS tenders are encouraged to take part in a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) industry readiness survey on value-based procurement (VBP).
This survey provides an opportunity for companies across the health technology sector to share their perspectives and help shape how VBP is implemented across the NHS in England.
Value-based procurement shifts the focus from reducing product costs to delivering better outcomes and lowering total costs across the patient pathway.
NHS Supply Chain is working with the NHS and industry to apply this approach in practice, aiming to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver measurable benefits such as increased productivity, reduced infection rates, and improved patient outcomes.
The approach also supports closer collaboration between suppliers, procurement teams, and healthcare providers, with a focus on delivering long-term value to the health system.
More information on VBP can be found in this BHTA article.
DHSC has developed national VBP standard guidance, currently being piloted by 13 NHS Trusts, with publication expected in summer 2026.
The survey has been designed to assess industry readiness and understand organisational attitudes towards VBP. Findings will inform DHSC’s implementation plans and support the transition to value-based approaches across the NHS.
It asks organisations to provide:
Responses are confidential and will not be shared with third parties.
Relevant members are encouraged to submit a response before the deadline via the value-based procurement survey.
Members involved in NHS tenders or expecting to be impacted by changes to procurement frameworks are particularly encouraged to participate.
The NHS Supply Chain Supplier Webinar held in February 2026 provided suppliers with updates on several initiatives shaping procurement and supplier engagement across the health system. Topics included the NHS England Cyber Charter, the Supplier Performance Dashboard, developments in value-based healthcare, and a brief update on the NHS Core List.
Rachel Million, from the NHS Supply Chain Cyber Team, outlined the latest developments in NHS England’s Cyber Improvement Programme, which is driving higher standards of cyber resilience across the healthcare supply chain. Under the Cyber Charter, suppliers will be contacted by NHS England to discuss their cyber security controls and may be asked to provide evidence of compliance. Further detail is set out in NHS England’s open letter on the Cyber Improvement Programme (the Cyber Charter).
The programme aims to reduce the likelihood and impact of cyber incidents that could affect patient care. Suppliers were advised to review their information security measures, confirm certification status where applicable, and ensure they can provide evidence when requested. NHS Supply Chain noted that cyber resilience is now considered a core component of supply chain assurance.
Kate Mokrysz, Supplier Performance and Risk Manager, discussed the Supplier Performance Dashboard, which enables suppliers and NHS Supply Chain to view and compare performance data across cost, quality, service, and sustainability.
Current metrics include service levels, delivery performance, demand management, and data conformance. Further measures are expected to be added over the coming months, including product regulatory compliance, patient safety complaints, sustainability indicators, and information relating to supplier innovation pipelines.
Suppliers who wish to access their own performance data can request dashboard access via their NHS Supply Chain category contact.
Oliver Booth, Care Pathway Specialist (Midlands), discussed NHS Supply Chain’s ongoing work on value-based healthcare, which focuses on improving outcomes, efficiency, and total cost of care rather than unit price alone.
Suppliers were encouraged to bring forward solutions supported by robust evidence, including real-world data, patient experience, and economic modelling aligned to NHS priorities. Oliver highlighted NHS Supply Chain’s existing value-based healthcare portfolio, which includes case studies demonstrating measurable clinical and system benefits across stages such as pilot implementation, pathway optimisation, financial modelling, and benefits realisation.
NHS Supply Chain is continuing to build the next wave of value-based healthcare opportunities and encouraged suppliers to engage early and share strong evidence packs.
Fay Allen, Innovation Specialist, outlined a formalised Innovation Marketing Playbook designed to bring greater consistency and clarity to how innovative products are communicated within NHS Supply Chain.
A central element of the framework is the Innovation Brief, a structured document intended to present innovations in a clear, evidence-led format. Each brief includes an executive summary, classification of the innovation, key opportunity highlights, relevant clinical or economic evidence, and practical information such as ordering details and supporting guidance.
By standardising how innovations are presented, NHS Supply Chain aims to make it easier for NHS organisations to identify, assess, and adopt new technologies. For BHTA member suppliers, this approach may provide a clearer route for showcasing evidence-based products that align with value-based healthcare objectives.
Hamish Makanji, Head of Category – Medical and Surgical Consumables, provided a brief update on the NHS Core List, which aims to simplify procurement for standardised, high-volume consumables through a nationally coordinated route.
From the information presented, the Core List is intended for standardised consumables rather than specialist or bespoke clinical solutions. As many BHTA products, including assistive technology, rehabilitation, mobility, and complex care devices, are tailored to individual patient needs, they are less likely to fall within scope in the near term. While the Core List will continue to expand during 2026, its relevance to most BHTA members is expected to remain limited.
BHTA will continue to monitor NHS Supply Chain developments and share relevant updates to support members in understanding changes across the procurement landscape.
NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) has confirmed the approval of its Modernisation Programme, a multi-year initiative designed to update and strengthen its operations across procurement, logistics and supply management. Alongside this, it has introduced a set of Buying Principles that outline how it will approach purchasing decisions and work with suppliers.
The Modernisation Programme is structured to enhance the organisation’s commercial capability, update procurement systems, and support improved product and service pathways. According to NHSSC, the programme will involve strengthening digital tools, improving processes, and supporting greater consistency across procurement activities. It is intended to ensure that procurement is more efficient, transparent, and aligned with national objectives.
NHSCC says that the Modernisation Programme will enable it to make a step change in its ability to serve the NHS and patients across England, by investing in IT and supply chain infrastructures through a multi-year programme.
Andrew New, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Supply Chain, commented: “This investment will be used to grow the value of our procurement and delivery services to meet the needs of all of our service users and stakeholders in a resilient and modern system-centric way.
“It will also enable us to address our critical IT resilience risks, as well as delivering our commitment to return a minimum of £1 billion of recurring annual value to the NHS by 2030.”
A short explanatory video released by NHSSC highlights several areas of development within the programme, including improvements to digital infrastructure, enhanced data visibility, and refined systems intended to deliver better outcomes for the wider NHS. The programme is described as a significant step in preparing NHSSC for future demands on procurement and supply management.
NHSSC has also published its new Buying Principles, outlining the standards and considerations that guide purchasing decisions. These principles state that buying decisions will be evidence-based, transparent, and designed to provide value for money while supporting the needs of the NHS.
The principles include commitments to consistency, fairness, and long-term value, as well as an emphasis on quality and ensuring that procurement decisions contribute positively to patient care. NHSSC notes that the updated approach is intended to improve clarity for suppliers, offering a clearer framework for how purchasing decisions are made.
While the principles are high-level, they directly relate to suppliers by setting expectations for the evaluation of goods and services. NHSSC states that the principles will support more efficient, transparent decision-making and give suppliers greater visibility of the factors that influence category strategies and contracting.
The Modernisation Programme states that the new Buying Principles and modernisation activities will help create clearer pathways for engagement with suppliers. The principles indicate that suppliers should expect NHSSC to apply consistent criteria and evidence-based methods during procurement exercises.
The Modernisation Programme includes changes to digital tools and commercial processes that will support enhanced interactions with suppliers. These developments are framed as improvements to the way NHSSC manages sourcing, contracting, and ongoing supplier relationships.
The BHTA joined NHS Supply Chain’s (NHSCC) latest supplier webinar on 12 November 2025 to hear updates on key procurement developments. The session provided practical information to help suppliers understand upcoming changes, maintain compliance with NHS procurement standards, and engage more effectively with NHSCC.
Matthew Griffin, Head of Procurement Operations, outlined how NHSCC is helping suppliers adapt to changes brought about by the Procurement Act 2023. A series of new user guides, short videos, and updated website content has been created to make information easier to access. For more information and access to these supplier resources, visit the NHSCC suppliers section.
Matthew also emphasised NHSCC’s increasing focus on cyber security, with new requirements to safeguard systems and sensitive data. A dedicated section on the website provides guidance on meeting these standards. He highlighted the importance of early engagement with the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) and recommended suppliers familiarise themselves with the Contract and Tender Process pages.
The updated procurement calendar was also noted as a useful tool showing NHSCC’s current and upcoming contract pipeline.
Tim Plackett, Performance and Risk Manager, underlined the importance of keeping supplier information up to date within the Central Digital Platform (CDP). Suppliers should ensure their company and product details, including insurance certificates, accreditations, and financial standing, remain current. This supports smoother tenders and contract management.
Tim encouraged suppliers to provide as much detail as possible, stating to suppliers that a good rule of thumb is to assume buyers know nothing about them. He clarified that Supplier Economic and Financial Standing (EFS) is not a pass or fail measure, but it may affect how NHSCC works with individual suppliers.
Category managers can also provide product data extracts at contract level to suppliers, including some information about competitors, though these exclude sensitive commercial information.
Byron Vincent, Head of Performance and Business Management, presented the Buying Principles, which reflect NHSCC’s commitment to more sustainable, fair, transparent, and effective procurement. The principles form part of NHSCC’s wider modernisation programme and align with national health objectives under the NHS 10-Year Plan.
Centred around three ambitions – Buy Smart, Supply Right, and Partner Expertly – the framework aims to deliver £1 billion in cumulative value to the NHS by 2030. Byron explained that NHSCC will place greater emphasis on value-based procurement, assessing the total value of products and services rather than focusing solely on cost.
The seven buying principles are:
NHS England has released its ‘NHS Social Value Playbook’, a practical 46‑page guide that shows commissioning and procurement teams – and the businesses that serve them – how to place social, economic, and environmental value at the heart of every contract.
Published on 14 July 2025, the document translates policy into step‑by‑step actions across the buying lifecycle, from early planning to post‑award performance management.
Since 2020, all NHS contracts above £5 million have carried a minimum mandatory 10 percent net zero and social value weighting.
Feedback gathered by NHS England, however, revealed that many purchasing teams still felt uncertain about designing meaningful questions, evaluating responses, and measuring delivery, while suppliers wanted clearer, more consistent expectations around social value.
The new playbook responds to both groups by providing usable text, worked examples, and links to templates.
The guidance discusses each stage of the commissioning or procurement journey. It begins with business‑case development, urging buyers to identify which of the government’s eight social value themes – for instance “Fighting Climate Change” and “Tackling Inequality” – can best advance local and national health priorities. It then recommends collaborative pre‑market engagement so suppliers can help refine the brief and flag disproportionate requirements.
For the tender itself, the document supplies example questions and scoring matrices that reflect suppliers’ different sizes and capabilities. Importantly, it allows commissioners to elevate a theme, such as modern slavery prevention, from “added value” to a core contract requirement when risks or opportunities justify the move. This flexibility, the playbook states, is central to making social value business as usual rather than an afterthought.
The final chapters focus on contract management. They show how to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time‑bound key performance indicators, linking them to payment milestones and improvement plans. An annex lists ready‑made metrics – for example tonnes of carbon avoided or number of apprenticeships created – that buyers can lift directly into their agreements, as an example.
“Applying social value provides NHS commissioning and buying teams the unique opportunity to improve patients’ lives and the communities they live in through how we buy and the way we manage contracts,” the guide notes, adding that it can drive the supply chain “to deliver additional social, economic and environmental benefits alongside their commercial commitments.”
The playbook aligns with the 2025 refresh of the UK Government’s Social Value Model and supports the NHS 10‑Year Health Plan’s commitments on sustainability and health inequality.
For companies selling to the NHS – including BHTA members – the document spells out the evidence buyers will look for, stresses that proportionality matters when smaller firms compete, and warns that carbon reduction plans and anti‑modern‑slavery measures may be mandatory rather than nice to have.
Suppliers that embed social value into product design, service delivery, and reporting will therefore be better placed to demonstrate compliance and stand out in future tenders.
This consultation sought views on proposed regulations and guidance to strengthen action against modern slavery in NHS procurement. Building on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Health and Care Act 2022, the proposals introduced new legal duties for public bodies procuring goods and services for the NHS to assess and address risks of modern slavery in their supply chains.
For BHTA members, the proposals highlighted increased expectations around supply chain due diligence, transparency and compliance, particularly for suppliers working with NHS organisations. The measures aimed to ensure that NHS procurement activities are free from unethical labour practices, while aligning with wider government policy on tackling modern slavery.
The consultation also outlined how these duties would be supported by national guidance and applied across public sector procurement in England. The BHTA encouraged members to consider the potential operational and reporting implications for their organisations.
Download the relevant documents:
Click HERE to download the consultation document.
Click HERE to download the BHTA response to this consultation.
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO), the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, has revealed that the NHS is not making the most of its spending power to save money in purchasing medical equipment and consumables.
Entitled ‘NHS Supply Chain and efficiencies in procurement’, the report has found that the NHS has continued to spend more than £3 billion outside NHS Supply Chain, its purpose-built procurement route.
The NAO examined how effectively NHS Supply Chain is making efficiencies across NHS procurement and whether it has achieved its objectives of saving money and increasing its share of products (medical equipment and consumables) bought through it by the NHS.
For 2023-24, NHS Supply Chain estimates that annual NHS spending on products is around £8 billion.
At its inception in 2019, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) set NHS Supply Chain a target to deliver £2.4 billion savings by 2023-24. As of 2022-23, it told the NAO that it had exceeded its £2.4 billion savings target – but although NHS Supply Chain reported progress against this target to NHS England (NHSE) on a quarterly basis, neither NHSE nor the DHSC has validated or checked these savings, the report underlines.
Importantly, the report states that NHS trusts spend approximately £3.4 billion outside of NHS Supply Chain’s function. Trusts are largely free to purchase goods outside Supply Chain, but in order to achieve its objective – to harness the NHS’s spending power – NHS Supply Chain needs to persuade them to use it to purchase goods.
There is a still lot of variation in the prices trusts pay. For example, for each hip replacement stem part purchased by the NHS in 2022-23, individual trusts paid up to £490, with a median price of £333. Supply Chain’s price for the same product was £258, which was the lowest price for that product.
In addition, the report outlines that customers’ overall levels of satisfaction with NHS Supply Chain are below target and in long-term decline. In its latest customer satisfaction survey, 71.8 percent of respondents noted that they use other supply routes because the products they wanted were not available through Supply Chain.
NAO further states that NHS Supply Chain needs to improve the performance of eDirect, a procurement route accounting for around £1.5 billion of orders via Supply Chain in 2022-23. Orders via this route were delivered on average 22 days late between June 2022 and March 2023.
Supply Chain recognises that its systems and processes do not work well for all its customers and that it needs to do more to become, and demonstrate that it is, the best-value option for NHS procurement. To do this, it needs to optimise prices for customers, make ordering as straightforward as possible, and deliver reliably on orders placed, the NAO suggests.
Gareth Davies, Head of the NAO, commented: “Delivering the right products for the NHS, on time and at the best available price is essential to make every pound count for patients. The NHS has enormous buying power, but it is not yet making the most of it.
“Supply Chain needs to do more to deliver, and to show that it is delivering, for the NHS. In response, trusts need to make use of the NHS’s buying power to secure the lower costs Supply Chain can bring, with support and clear direction from NHSE.”
In light of the report’s findings, the NAO recommends that NHSE should use its data on trusts’ spending to understand and challenge why trusts are not using NHS Supply Chain and incentivise and encourage greater use of NHS Supply Chain.
It also states that NHS Supply Chain should improve its understanding of why some customers are unsatisfied with its services and develop a targeted action plan to make substantial improvements in satisfaction.