Working at NHS Supply Chain

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.

Managing more than 4.5 million orders per year, across 94,000 order points and 15,000 locations, NHS Supply Chain systems consolidate orders from over 800 suppliers, saving trusts time and money and removing duplication of overlapping contracts.

Lord Carter’s report into efficiency and productivity in the NHS, published in 2015, identified unwarranted variation in procurement across the NHS, resulting in the need to improve operational efficiencies to transform a fragmented procurement landscape. To undertake this transformation the Department of Health and Social Care established the Procurement Transformation Programme (PTP) to deliver a new NHS Supply Chain.

The new NHS Supply Chain was designed to help the NHS deliver clinically assured, quality products at the best value, through a range of specialist buying functions. Its aim is to leverage the buying power of the NHS to negotiate the best deals from suppliers and deliver savings of £2.4 billion back into NHS frontline services by the end of the financial year 2022/23.

The new model consists of eleven specialist buying functions, known as Category Towers, delivering clinical consumables, capital medical equipment and non-medical products such as food and office solutions. Three enabling services for logistics, supporting technology and transactional services underpin the model.

Key benefits the new NHS Supply Chain will bring NHS trusts and suppliers include:

NHS Trusts

• Savings channelled back to frontline services
• Releasing more time for core clinical activities
• Greater NHS clinical involvement in purchasing decision
• More effective introduction of new products.

Suppliers

• Lowering sales and marketing costs
• Single route into the national market
• A joined-up approach across the NHS
• Clear route for innovative products.

On 1 April 2018, a new commercially astute management function called Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL) went ‘live’. A limited company, wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, SCCL is part of the NHS family. The management function is responsible for driving commercial objectives, managing the category towers and enabling services whilst overseeing continuous improvement.

DHL no longer operate this site, that responsibility has transferred to Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SCCL). While we have taken every precaution to remove references to DHL on the site, should there be any remaining references, we advise that they are unintentional and SCCL remains the responsible party.

Career Opportunities at NHS Supply Chain

Thank you for your interest in working for NHS Supply Chain, this page provides further information about current and new job vacancies.

Our Vision

Through our passion and excellence we improve lives as the supply chain partner of choice for the NHS

Our Purpose

We proudly deliver supply chain excellence and best value to NHS customers and patients through innovation, service and clinical expertise.

Our Values

Ambitious – Be Driven
We know how to deliver what is needed and we have the ambition to deliver it to the best of our ability. We recognise the importance of process but we have the courage, passion and drive to innovate and go beyond expectations, consistently delivering value for our customers.

Innovative – Be The Difference
We challenge the status quo and think differently, continually looking at new and better ways to improve and make a difference across NHS suppliers, customers and patients. Our passion for doing the best job in the right way is at the heart of who we are and what we do.

Integrity – Be Authentic
We make the best decisions and work to the highest standards. Through behaving with integrity we are honest and demonstrate trustworthiness to stakeholders, each other and our customers. Through our authenticity we show others that our behaviours and actions match our values. We are true to our word.

Respectful – Be Inclusive
Our people are the key to our success. We help our people to succeed and our culture is one in which individuals are respected, valued and included. We listen and show respect for differing views. We collectively work as one team to achieve our goals.

Future focussed – Be Enterprising
We horizon scan and are always looking to the future. We understand the market and we set trends that will help us stay ahead of our competition. We understand our customers and we are driven to provide the service they need for the future.