NHS Highland To Save +£1M On Procurement

NHS Highland says it's on course to save more than £1 million on procurement.

The health board also received a positive Scottish Government rating on how it buys goods and services.

This comes as it faces an 8 million pound overspend this year.

Each year the government assesses the performance of the procurement activities of all public-sector bodies in Scotland.

And in this year’s review the procurement team at NHS Highland was given what’s known as a Procurement Capability Assessment (PCA) score of 75 per cent, 14 per cent higher than in 2013.

“I know it sounds a bit technical but this is a real feather in a cap for everyone at NHS Highland: the procurement team, department and service managers, budget holders and staff,” said Neil Stewart, the health board’s head of procurement.

“This score now classifies us as a ‘superior’ performing organisation and puts us in the top rank in terms of procurement among Scotland’s public-sector bodies.

"It reflects our determination to get the best possible deals from our suppliers and therefore to make the best possible use of our funds.”

Earlier this year, NHS Highland required brokerage of £2.5 million from the Scottish Government to ensure that it met its obligation of balancing its books at the end of the 2012/13 financial year.

“We are ahead of that target and are confident of meeting it,” said Mr Stewart, whose team is responsible for procuring just about everything the board uses, from food and medical equipment for hospitals to furniture and firings for offices.

“We have been working hard throughout the year to be more effective and efficient, and both our fantastic PCA score and the savings we have made reflect that.

“Taken together, these measures are putting NHS Highland at the forefront of procurement in the public sector in Scotland,” said Mr Stewart.