The NHS is committed to modernising – from infrastructure, securing digital assets, preparing for health emergencies and enhancing workforce skills, to deliver high-quality healthcare in the 21st century and ensure the resilience and efficiency of the NHS for future generations. NHS Shared Business Services has developed a framework agreement to give health and care teams a compliant, easy-to-access route to tap into expertise from leading experts for advice and support as they work towards achieving these goals.
The NHS is undergoing significant transformation to address evolving healthcare demands and the challenges that come with it.
And as it does, technology, workforce & skills, estate management, pandemic preparedness, becoming a net zero health system - to name just a few, are key touch points on its journey to being a modern sustainable NHS that is fit for the future and able to provide accessible and personalised care for all.
Estate management - creating more sustainable and resilient healthcare facilities to better cope with future demands The NHS estate encompasses a wide range of facilities, including hospitals, clinics and administrative buildings. Modernising it is a critical priority.
The goal is to ensure the facilities are not only fit for purpose but also set up to a standard that supports the delivery of high-quality care.
This involves refurbishing outdated buildings, investing in new technologies and designing environments that enhance patient experience and staff efficiency.
The latest data from the Estates Returns Information Collection estimates it will take £11.6bn for the NHS to return its run-down buildings and equipment to a suitable condition.
Carbon net zero
The NHS has set an ambitious target to become the world’s first net zero national health service by 2040. Its strategy includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency in buildings, reducing waste and promoting sustainable transport.
It is also looking to its supply chain, which significantly contributes to its carbon footprint, to adopt more sustainable practices.
Skills enhancement
A highly skilled workforce on the frontline (and the back office), is the backbone of the NHS. Continuous professional development is crucial to meet the evolving needs of patients and leverage new technologies effectively.
The NHS is investing in education and training programmes with a particular focus on digital literacy, leadership and specialised medical skills.
Addressing staff shortages through recruitment and retention strategies is also a priority ensuring the NHS can maintain a workforce capable of delivering comprehensive care.
Business continuity and technological outages
Recent incidents like the ransomware cyberattack linked to pathology firm Synnovis, in south-east London, highlight the critical importance of business continuity planning and cyber resilience in the NHS. It caused significant outage to blood testing services, operations and appointments impacting patient care and clinical decision-making.
Similarly, a faulty update to CrowdStrike antivirus software crashed Microsoft systems and affected the EMIS platform which many GPs use to manage appointment bookings and patient records - including sending prescriptions to pharmacies.
Without a clinical IT system many health and care staff were forced to return to pen and paper to be able to serve their patients.
These events underscore the need for robust business continuity strategies to mitigate the impact of such disruptions. The NHS must ensure contingency plans are in place, including backup systems, alternative communication channels and emergency protocols to maintain service delivery during tech failures.
Earlier this year, leading corporate services provider, NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) launched a new £500 million Consultancy and Advisory Services for Health framework agreement.
It gives the NHS and public sector a compliant, ease of access route to market for the provision and procurement of consultancy and advisory services that can help to address them.
With a particular focus on meeting the specific needs of the healthcare sector, the framework agreement provides healthcare, corporate, IT, HR and property consultancy services. It includes a specialist Lot (service type) for social value, sustainability and carbon neutrality, to support the NHS achieve carbon net zero targets by 2040, and as it works towards transformation.
Free to access, procurement teams from qualifying organisations can use this NHS Shared Business Service framework agreement to contract the services and expertise of 163 carefully selected pre-approved, best-of breed, vendors. Each has undergone a competitive and rigorous vetting process to be selected for inclusion.
Suppliers on the procurement framework comprise small to medium sized enterprises sitting alongside well-known national firms with a global presence.
Their collective offers across the framework agreement’s 10 Lots span:
Business, Leadership, Management, Governance, Structure & Strategy
This lot covers a variety of business application areas including business analysis, programme & project management, business strategy, mergers & acquisitions and complex projects.
Integrated Care, Healthcare & Community Care
Provides for numerous services related to care, including demand management & forecasting, healthcare & educational needs for vulnerable people, mental healthcare and specialist outreach services.
Commercialisation, Innovation & Transformation
Encompasses intellectual property rights, product research & development, revenue optimisation, business process reengineering, disputes & mediation and workforce planning.
Communications, Engagement & Research
From advertising, digital marketing, communications management through to media management.
IT Business Consultancy
This includes services related to Information and Communication Technology requirements planning, data capture & use, disaster recovery planning and IT security.
Finance and Procurement
Covers the provision of services in many areas, including actuarial services, asset financial management, cash management, corporate restructuring, taxation advisory and debt management.
HR, Employment, Skills, and Training
HR-related services such as pensions & actuarial advice, dispute management, HR policy, organisation structure, workforce strategy, training and cultural transformation.
Disease Outbreaks – Endemics, Epidemics and Pandemics
Provides for a range of disease management services that include communications, outbreak investigation, health surveys, population health research and disease-related research and development.
Social Value, Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality
For services related to carbon emissions analysis, impact assessments, Net Zero, social value & sustainability procurement, supply chain sustainability and related training.
Property
Relates to property acquisitions, disposals & lettings, capital asset strategy, property consultancy and valuation services.
There are two routes to procuring services using the framework agreement – further competition or direct award. The direct award route allows the purchaser to award a contract directly to a supplier, enabling them to obtain goods and services at speed.
The further competition process (also called mini-competition) enables procuring parties to ask awarded suppliers to submit project specific proposals and costings, which inform the selection of the most appropriate products and services to drive further efficiencies.
NHS Shared Business Services can undertake further competitions, running the end-to-end process for both individual and multiple provider organisations and also provide subject matter expert advice.
It also offers Combined Framework Agreement Solutions, grouping framework agreements from its four core categories – Business Services, Construction and Estates, Digital & IT and Health that together, supporting health and care organisations to achieve key NHS targets and objectives. Examples include Digital Transformation for Better Patient Outcomes, Elective Recovery and Future-proofing Estates and Infrastructure.
For further information contact: sbs.hello@nhs.net
