Over the past 18 months, NHS Supply Chain has been designing and building a new online catalogue, in collaboration with five pilot NHS trusts.

Some of the benefits that users are seeing from the new catalogue pilot include faster and more efficient searches and product images in the basket, making it easier to review orders.

In addition, the new catalogue includes trust-specific pricing, including and excluding VAT, for accurate price comparisons with external suppliers. Users will also experience persistent basket contents, even after session timeouts, and a mobile-responsive site, allowing users to browse and order on the go.

“Visually the new catalogue is a lot easier when you do a search, thanks to the larger images,” commented Adel McMahon, Buyer at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

Madeline Redman, Surgical Category Procurement Lead for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “I prefer the new catalogue, it’s definitely faster.”

NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) says the trusts’ feedback has helped it develop and release new features in phases through real-world insights into how the catalogue is used for searching, browsing, and ordering products.

According to NHSSC, over 1.5 million searches are performed every month on its existing catalogue. Several of the pilot trusts are choosing to add more users so they can benefit from the improved search function.

Since January this year, NHSSC expanded access to the new catalogue’s search and browse functionality to more trusts to gain further feedback, with over 30 now having access.

Emma Lowry, Head of Customer Digital Experience at NHS Supply Chain, commented: “We’ve now built a foundational product, that delivers the core operational functionality for placing and tracking orders, and are ready to open up access to the new catalogue to all customers. We’ll do this through a phased approach starting from November 2025.

“We’re already receiving great feedback about the new catalogue, but we’ll continue to develop it in collaboration with users to ensure it provides the best possible user experience.”

On both desktop and mobile, the new catalogue will enable users to log in via integrated single sign on; browse products using eClass navigation; use the search engine to search for products by NPC, MPC, supplier, brand, GTIN, or free text; view product pages and product lists; add products to shopping basket; place orders; view order history; see and set financial approval levels; view and manage user roles and permissions; and use guided buying features (tailored catalogue/shareable lists).

The version of the new catalogue that customers will have access to at activation will not be the final product, NHSSC highlights. It will continue to build on these features and enhance the catalogue further.

NHS Supply Chain says that opening access to everyone allows it to gain valuable data and insight from user journeys and to understand the platform’s performance as it builds up traffic. This will enable help NHSSC prioritise future developments.

The existing catalogue will still be available for users to access after they have been activated on the new one.

NHSSC says it will begin to open access to the new catalogue to all customers from November 2025. This will be segmented into four tranches. The rollout is expected to be fully completed in around one year.

NHS trusts that are interested in joining the initial phase of activation and gaining early access to the new catalogue should email the Digital Commerce team and copy in their NHS Supply Chain ICS Manager.

Details of the activation plan will be shared in the coming months with trusts, according to NHSSC.

Further information about the new catalogue can be found here.

Earlier this year, the British Healthcare Trades Association submitted a Freedom of Information request to Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SSCL), the organisation responsible for managing NHS Supply Chain operations.

The FOI request sought clarity on how many price increase requests are submitted by suppliers to NHS Supply Chain, what the outcomes typically are, how long decisions take, and the overall process for handling such requests.

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NHS England has recently published the ‘NHS Social Value Playbook’, which provides guidance on applying social value in the procurement of NHS goods and services, including assistive technology services.

The guidance was created following internal feedback which highlighted that more support was needed to develop the maturity of the NHS’ approach to social value. NHS buying teams asked for help in question setting, evaluation, and contract management, while suppliers asked for clearer questions related their skills and expertise.

The guidance sets out practical steps at each stage of the procurement or commissioning lifecycle. It emphasises the flexibility of including Fighting Climate Change as a core requirement to the contract deliverables or as social value theme for suppliers to deliver above and beyond the core offer. It also outlines how creating key performance indicators (KPIs) is critical and provides examples of how to do this.

According to the playbook, this is what social value means to the NHS: “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.

“Social value in procurement drives the supply chain to deliver additional social, economic, and environmental benefits alongside their commercial commitments.”

The guidance aligns with the 2025 updates to UK Government’s Social Value Model. More broadly, the playbook works in tandem with the government’s sustainability ambitions and goals to reduce health inequalities detailed in the ‘NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England’.

The new playbook highlights the positive impact social value can have on health inequalities and outcomes, setting out examples for common areas of spend. It asks commercial colleagues to collaborate with their commissioning, clinical, and operational counterparts on social value and sustainability from the outset of the business planning process to ensure the themes and questions meet the needs of the patients or users of the goods or services.

One of the key messages from the playbook is that social value themes should be considered early in the planning process in collaboration with commissioners, operational leads, clinicians, and suppliers to support delivery of broader NHS challenges and priorities. It also states that pre-market engagement is key to ensuring proportionate and relevant questions.

Importantly, the guidance underlines that fighting climate change, effective stewardship of the environment, or clean energy can be included as a core requirement or a social value theme. It adds that modern slavery should be included as a core requirement where there is a medium or high risk.

In addition, the guidance highlights that creating social value key performance indicators (KPIs) within the contract is critical to assuring and measuring delivery.

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The UK Government has launched a new Life Sciences Sector Plan as part of the government’s flagship Industrial Strategy, setting out a 10-year mission to harness British science and innovation to deliver long-term economic growth and a stronger, prevention-focused NHS.

The UK Government says it is already a global leader in life sciences, with the sector worth around £100 billion to the economy, and employing around 300,000 people.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan, developed in close coordination with the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, doubles down on that strength, turning cutting-edge research into real-world results with new treatments, faster diagnoses, and more lives saved.

It is about making sure breakthroughs happen here and stay here, creating jobs, improving lives in every part of the country, and driving growth, says the government.

Life sciences’ critical importance to both driving economic growth and improving our health, two of the core elements of the Plan for Change has been shown through the government’s action to date to support the sector.

The Chancellor recommitted up to £520 million for the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund at the Spending Review to pull investment into the UK. The government says red tape is being slashed to speed up clinical trials.

In comparison, an up to £600 million investment will deliver a Health Data Research Service that will be unmatched globally, bringing the power of data to bear to unlock breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The plan sets out a comprehensive roadmap built around 3 core pillars, enabling world-class R&D – strengthening the UK’s leadership in science and discovery; making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest – growing homegrown companies and attracting global capital, and driving health innovation and NHS reform – delivering better outcomes for patients and a more modern, preventative healthcare system.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan will be supported over the lifetime of the Spending Review by government funding of over £2 billion, alongside funding from UKRI and NIHR. There are six bold actions to kickstart change.

Actions include unlocking NHS data to find new cures with up to £600 million investment to build the world’s most advanced health data system, helping scientists develop better treatments faster.

Speeding up clinical trials include cutting red tape so patients can join trials sooner and get access to life-changing medicines quicker.

Backing British manufacturing will see up to £520 million to invested in life sciences manufacturing projects, creating high-skilled jobs and making more treatments and medical devices here at home.

Getting new treatments to patients faster will include making regulation simpler and faster by boosting departmental support for the MHRA with additional investment so doctors can use safe, effective innovations without delay.

Helping doctors use cutting-edge tech will see a new NHS ‘passport’ to roll out proven tools faster, such as AI cancer scanners or wearable devices that detect disease early.

Finally, backing brilliant UK firms to grow includes helping fast-growing companies raise investment, scale up, and stay in the UK, with at least one major industry partnership secured every year.

This plan was shaped with input from over 250 organisations including doctors, scientists, NHS leaders and industry experts to ensure it delivers real impact.

It builds on the strong foundations of the 10-Year Health Plan, extending its ambition by uniting health and growth interventions into a single, coherent strategy for the Life Sciences sector.

Every action has clear goals and named leads. This is a Plan designed to deliver, not in isolation but as a vital part of the government’s broader Plan for Change.

The plan builds on the Chancellor’s commitment to reduce regulatory costs by a quarter, with increased investment in the MHRA to accelerate approvals and improve efficiency. It aims to streamline MedTech market entry through closer coordination between the MHRA and NICE.

The government is also focused on strengthening the UK’s clinical research infrastructure by improving trial delivery, expanding patient access, and embedding research more effectively within the NHS.

The UK Government has already started delivering on key actions, from investing up to £600 million in the Health Data Research Service alongside Wellcome, through to committing over £650 million in Genomics England and up to £354 million in Our Future Health, while the rollout of ‘innovator passports’ will help speed up the adoption of new tech and treatments on the NHS.

It insists that this is clear evidence of the government’s commitment and confidence in life sciences as a driver of both economic growth and better health outcomes.

Life Sciences is one of eight priority sectors in the government’s Industrial Strategy, reflecting the sector’s high growth potential.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Our world-leading life sciences sector employs hundreds of thousands of people and is a powerhouse for economic growth that puts more money in people’s pockets. Our Plan for Change is ramping up this success story even further.

“The ten-year life sciences plan we have released as part of our Industrial Strategy will cut red tape and deliver the investment we funded at the Spending Review so it can stay ahead of the curve globally and we can reap the economic rewards for years to come.”

Life sciences companies employ over 300,000 people, with more than three-quarters of jobs outside London and the Southeast, supporting opportunity in every part of the UK.

The sector improves economic productivity by improving health. With long-term illness a major drag on workforce participation, better health leads directly to a stronger, more resilient economy.

The Life sciences sector attracts record levels of private investment. In 2023, the UK raised the third highest amount of life sciences equity finance in the world, behind only the US and China.

Medicines and medical technologies were the UK’s third largest goods export by value in 2024.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also revolutionising the Life Sciences sector across research, diagnostics, treatment, and manufacturing, reshaping how we prevent, treat, and manage disease.

The potential economic impact is substantial, with McKinsey Global Institute estimating that AI could generate $60–110 billion annually for the pharmaceutical and medical-product industries alone.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This Life Sciences Sector Plan represents a pivotal moment in our mission to rebuild the NHS and shift our healthcare system from one that treats illness to one that prevents it.

“By bringing together the brilliance of British science with the power of our NHS, we’re not just improving healthcare outcomes – we’re building a stronger economy and creating jobs across the country.

“The £2 billion investment will help us make the most of our world-leading health data, speed up access to innovative treatments, and transform the experience of patients.

“This is how we deliver a health service fit for the future – by embracing innovation that saves lives, cuts waiting times, and makes the NHS sustainable for generations to come.”

The plan comes on the same day as the fourth “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” Roadshow, a government-led initiative designed to boost SME exports in the Life Sciences sector.

The roadshow focuses on the 8 sectors highlighted in the modern industrial strategy, forming part of the government’s commitment to supporting high-growth industries with the greatest potential to create jobs, increase productivity, and drive long-term economic growth.

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The UK Government has published the long-awaited NHS 10-year plan, which sets out the government’s priorities and policies for the health service in England.

Entitled ‘Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England’, the policy paper is centred around three big shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention.

Below, AT Today has highlighted some of the key policies that assistive technology professionals should be aware of.

Neighbourhood Health Service

As part of the government’s goal to shift care from hospital to community, it is building what it calls a Neighbourhood Health Service. This is designed to deliver continuous, accessible, and integrated care, instead of the current “fragmented” system.

At its core, the Neighbourhood Health Service will take a preventative approach and is built around the principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and in a hospital if necessary.

To fund this new service, the government states: “Over the course of this plan, the share of expenditure on hospital care will fall, with proportionally greater investment in out-of-hospital care. This is not just a long-term ambition. We will also deliver this shift in investment over the next 3 to 4 years as local areas build and expand their neighbourhood health services.”

Importantly, the government says that to support the service, it will at least double the number of people offered a personal health budget (PHB) by 2028 to 2029, offer one million people a PHB by 2030, and ensure it is a universal offer for all who would benefit by 2035.

If the government meets this PHB commitment, it would mean that more people will be able to access essential assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs, through a PHB.

The government adds that AI and cutting-edge technology will be deployed by hospitals to free up space and improve patient care. The plan highlights that all hospitals will be fully AI-enabled within the next decade.

A digitally accessible health system

One of the government’s key priorities is to make the NHS digitally accessible. By harnessing the power of technology, the government wants to ensure people in generally good health can rapidly access NHS care, that hospitals are freed up for those with the most complex needs, and that the NHS is financially sustainable into the future.

Some of the key policies to support this digitally enabled health system include giving patients control over care data via a single patient care record; transforming the NHS App so that patients can get advice for non-urgent care, book directly into tests, and manage their long-term conditions and medicines; and using continuous monitoring to help make proactive management of patients the new normal, allowing clinicians to reach out at the first signs of deterioration to prevent an emergency admission to hospital.

In addition, healthcare staff will be able to use AI scribes to reduce administrative burden and free up their time to focus on patient care.

Preventative care

As part of the government’s plan to shift healthcare from sickness to prevention, it wants to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, while increasing it for everyone.

The vast majority of this preventative care work revolves around ending the obesity epidemic, halting the advertising and sponsorship of nicotine products and vapes, harnessing breakthroughs in weight loss medication, and tackling harmful alcohol consumption.

A new operating model

To deliver on its three big shifts, the government is clear it wants to deliver a new operating model for the NHS that sees power pushed away from government and to places, providers, and patients.

To achieve this, the government is combining NHS England (NHSE) with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), reducing central headcount by 50 percent. This comes as part of the major announcement that NHS England will be formally abolished over the next couple of years.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) will become the strategic commissioners of local healthcare services. The government says it will build ICB capability and close commissioning support units.

The government also wants to: “Reinvent the NHS foundation trust (FT) model for a modern age. By 2035, our ambition is that every NHS provider should be an FT with freedoms including the ability to retain surpluses and reinvest them, and borrowing for capital investment. FTs will use these freedoms and flexibilities to improve population health, not just increase activity.”

The government aims to make use of private sector capacity to treat NHS patients where it is available and will enter discussions with private providers to expand NHS provision in the most disadvantaged areas.

In addition, the new operating model will trial new patient power payments, which are a new funding flow in which patients are contacted after care and given a say on whether the full payment for the costs of their care should be released to the provider.

Better data transparency

The government wants to improve data transparency across the NHS.

Some of the key policies surrounding this include publishing easy-to-understand league tables this summer that rank providers against key quality indicators; allowing patients to search and choose providers based on quality data on the NHS App; and giving all providers new flexibilities to make additional financial payments to clinical teams that have consistently high clinical outcomes and excellent patient feedback or are significantly improving care.

Developing the NHS workforce

There are also ambitions to develop the NHS workforce so that staff are better treated, more motivated, and receive better training.

Policies revolving around this area include ensuring all NHS staff members have their own personalised career coaching and development plan, updating and reforming employment contracts, and changing contracts to incentivise and reward high-quality and productive care.

Other policies include creating 1,000 new speciality training posts over the next three years and reducing international recruitment to less than 10 percent by 2035.

Innovative tech

The 10-year plan also details the government’s ambitions for the NHS to use innovative technologies to reform the health service, personalise care, and improve outcomes.

AI, again, is highlighted as a big part of the NHS’ reform. The government wants AI to be seamlessly integrated into clinical pathways.

Wearables will also be deployed as standard in preventative, chronic, and post-acute NHS treatment by 2035. All NHS patients will have access to these technologies, which will be part of routine care. The government will provide devices for free in areas where health need and deprivation are highest.

NICE’s technology appraisal process will be expanded to cover devices, diagnostics, and digital products. NICE will also be given a new role to identify which outdated technologies can be removed from the NHS to free up resources for investment in more effective ones.

The government also says it will streamline the procurement of technology.

Financial sustainability

The plan frequently mentions financial sustainability, and the government wants to get better outcomes for the money it spends.

According to the plan, the government will: “Restore financial discipline by ending the practice of providing additional funding to cover deficits. Over time, our aim is for the NHS to move into surplus with the majority of providers achieving that by 2030.”

All organisations will be asked to prepare realistic five-year financial plans to demonstrate how financial sustainability will be secured over the medium term.

NHS funding is set to be distributed more equally locally so it is better aligned with health need. In the meantime, the government will target extra funding to areas with disproportionate economic and health challenges.

In the longer term, the government hopes to move to a new NHS financial model where money will increasingly follow patients through their lifetime. Providers will be rewarded based on how well they improve outcomes for each individual, as well as how well they involve people in the design of their care.

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Supporting people to lead longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives will be at the heart of two new ten-year plans published by the Scottish Government, aimed at creating and maintaining good health, preventing disease, and reforming health and social care services.

The Population Health Framework aims to tackle the root causes of poor health and outlines a wide range of actions, including giving greater access to green spaces and opportunities for sport and active recreation.

Addressing these underlying factors can increase life expectancy, reduce the gap between the most deprived communities and the national average, and prevent chronic illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which disproportionately affect those in more disadvantaged areas.

The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework aims to ensure health and social care services are sustainable, efficient, high quality, and accessible, which includes being able to expect faster and fairer access to care.

It empowers people to be more involved in and in charge of their own care and includes measures to improve access to treatment in the community, enhance preventative services, and maximise the opportunities of digital innovation.

There will also be a new national body called NHS Delivery, created by bringing together NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland. This will provide a focal point for training, digital and support to other health boards, with scope to deliver more national support to local services in future.

Health Secretary Neil Gray visited Blackburn Partnership Centre in West Lothian with COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly before launching the frameworks in the Scottish Parliament. The centre includes a GP practice and community centre, which promotes weight loss and healthy living through exercise.

Neil said: “Too many lives are cut short in Scotland because of illness that is preventable. We know health is not determined solely by what happens within the walls of hospitals or care homes and we want to create an environment in which everyone can live a healthy life. Through action on early years, jobs, income and building powerful communities the Population Health Framework builds the conditions to help people thrive and prevent poor health.

“Through the Service Renewal Framework we will take action to deliver care closer to home, support people to better manage their own treatment and build on innovation, digital and treatment advances.

“This will help shape an efficient health and social care system that is focused on prevention and early intervention, and delivers high quality care at the right time in the right place. The creation of a new national body, NHS Delivery, will help to support that journey.

“Refocusing the whole system towards preventing ill-health from occurring or escalating can help us ensure the sustainability of our National Health Service. I am determined to ensure the measures outlined are delivered effectively and as quickly as possible as we work to transform the health of the nation.”

Pension Age Disability Payment for disabled people and those with a long-term health condition to help them look after themselves, or supervision to stay safe, is open for applications across Scotland.

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New data gathered from Winston Solicitors via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to NHS England reveals the stark differences in NHS funding for continuing healthcare (CHC) across England’s 42 integrated care boards (ICBs).

Described as a “postcode lottery”, the FOI suggests that patients are at risk due to the stark regional disparities in NHS CHC spending. The full FOI dataset can be found here.

CHC is a package of care arranged and fully funded by the NHS for adults with long-term, complex health needs. It can apply in a care home, hospice care, or the individual’s own home. Unlike social care, CHC is not means-tested but eligibility criteria are strict, and assessments can be complex.

ICBs must assess an individual for NHS CHC if it seems an individual may need it. Despite a single national eligibility framework, the figures show huge variation in how CHC is funded from region to region.

For example, NHS North East & North Cumbria ICB spent more than £382 million on CHC in 2023/24, while NHS Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes ICB spent just £86.4 million. Even after accounting for population differences, North East & North Cumbria still allocated more per capita than the Bedfordshire-based ICB.

The FOI also revealed inconsistent use of the fast-track pathway, the statutory route for patients who are approaching the end of life and require care to be arranged within 48 hours. Several ICBs, including Beds, Luton & Milton Keynes and Birmingham & Solihull, reported spending £0 on fast track CHC in 2023/24.

This is despite Age UK’s ‘Continuing to Care report’, which highlighted that referrals for fast track increased nationally as the standard CHC became more difficult to access.

While ICBs were only formed in July 2022 under the Conservative Government, half-year expenditures on CHC were available and compared to the 2023/2024 data. While some categories like adult personal health budgets saw localised growth, overall, every ICB reduced their CHC expenditures.

Overall CHC spending appears to have decreased by 42 percent in 2023/24 compared to a full-year estimate for 2022/23, according to Winston Solicitors.

James Urquhart-Burton, Head of Continuing Healthcare Claims at Winston Solicitors, specialising in CHC and care compensation, commented: “The data reveals striking regional disparities in CHC spending, with some ICBs allocating more than four times as much per year as others.

“These differences raise serious questions about equity and access to care. It’s more important than ever for individuals and families to have expert support when navigating this system, especially in areas where funding appears constrained.”

The findings are based on FOI responses from all ICBs in England regarding their CHC spending in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Figures were normalised to account for ICBs being formed partway through 2022 and represent adjusted year-on-year comparisons.

ICBs with the highest total CHC expenditures included NHS North East & North Cumbria ICB (£382.7), NHS Cheshire & Merseyside ICB (£357.5 million), and NHS Lancashire & South Cumbria ICB (£303.3).

ICBs with the lowest total CHC expenditures included NHS Somerset ICB (£53.4 million), NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly ICB (£56.4 million), and NHS Lincolnshire ICB (£60.9 million).

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The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust is calling on the local community to return unused mobility aids, including crutches and Zimmer frames, to help ensure patients have access to essential support for their recovery.

Thousands of mobility equipment items are handed out by the trust to help patients to recover each year, but only a small handful are returned. Last year, only 38 percent of all crutches and 15 percent of Zimmer frames were returned. The Trust is spending significant amounts of money on purchasing new equipment to replace the equipment that was not returned.

By returning any borrowed or unused frames and crutches, the trust says people can make a significant difference on the well-being of patients requiring mobility assistance and help the trust save £70,000 each year.

Last year, the UK Government launched the Design for Life roadmap to introduce a major crackdown on waste in the NHS to save millions of pounds a year, helping to divert more resources to frontline care.

Dom Hardy, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are spending large amounts of money on purchasing new equipment to replace the lost mobility aids which are not returned to us. This money instead could be used on improving healthcare services at the Trust to help support our patients.”

Individuals can drop off unwanted mobility aids including Zimmer frames and crutches to drop-off points at the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The drop-off points can be found at South Block entrance, North Block entrance, and the Main Entrance Reception.

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has also launched a walking aids return scheme.

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Joe Harrison CBE has been appointed by NHS Supply Chain as Chair of the NHS Advisory Board for Procurement and Supply, effective immediately.

The NHS Advisory Board for Procurement and Supply (The National Advisory Board) aims to influence and lead national procurement strategy by engaging with the senior stakeholders across acute, mental health, and community trusts who understand the challenges faced by the NHS. Through collective accountability and collaborative working, the board seeks to drive meaningful system wide improvements.

Joe’s appointment follows the appointment of former long-serving Chair Sir James Mackey to Chief Executive Officer of NHS England.

Joe has served as Chief Executive Officer of Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust since 2013, transforming its record across several key areas and pioneering digital advances. He is also the NHS England National Director for Digital Channels, Chair of the NHS Confederation Employers Policy Board, and a Trustee of the NHS Confederation.

Commenting on his appointment, Joe said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to chair the National Advisory Board for NHS Supply Chain.

“It is a critical time for our NHS to ensure that we are delivering the best possible patient care in the most efficient and timely manner, and the work of the NHS Supply Chain has consistently demonstrated excellence in ensuring that our healthcare system is appropriately equipped to deliver this.”

NHS Supply Chain is responsible for procuring products, services, and goods for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales. The organisation aims to leverage the collective buying power of the NHS to drive savings and provide a standardised range of clinically assured quality products at the best value.

Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SSCL) provides oversight and operational management for NHS Supply Chain and its service providers.

SCCL Chair Heather Tierney-Moore added: “I am thrilled to confirm Joe Harrison as the new chair, bringing with him a wealth of experience and record of success across his various roles, including as an NHS acute hospital chief executive for more than 10 years.

“His work in the digital space and as a champion of innovation to drive improved patient outcomes will be particularly relevant as we work with stakeholders from across the system to ensure we support the changing needs of the NHS.”

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The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has acquired important information from NHS Supply Chain through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to Supply Chain Coordination Limited (SSCL), the organisation responsible for managing NHS Supply Chain operations.

The FOI request sought clarity on how many price increase requests are submitted by suppliers to NHS Supply Chain, what the outcomes typically are, how long decisions take, and the overall process for handling such requests, reflecting common queries from BHTA members.

David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the BHTA, formally submitted the FOI request, which elicited the following details from SSCL.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, NHS Supply Chain received 105 supplier requests for price increases. Of these, 32 were approved, 13 were declined, and 10 were withdrawn by the suppliers.

The average time taken to reach a decision on a price increase request, from initial submission to final outcome, was reported to be 84 days.

In response to questions about formal policies or criteria used to evaluate such requests, NHS Supply Chain also shared its Supplier Price Increase Workflow document, which outlines the procedural steps and evaluation criteria used during the decision-making process.

Download the full FOI request response to the BHTA from SSCL here (PDF).

Download the full Supplier Price Increase Workflow document here (PDF).

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King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has launched a walking aids return scheme. This initiative will benefit the environment by reducing waste and carbon emissions while also generating cost savings and improving patient access to walking aids.

The returned walking aids will be processed by the Bed and Equipment Team at the King’s College Hospital site, where equipment will be inspected, cleaned, and repaired before being provided to another patient. Any walking aids deemed unsafe for reuse will be recycled.

The service cannot accept zimmer frames, wooden walking sticks, or personal equipment such as commodes. Crutches and metal walking sticks will be accepted.

The WRAP Recycling Locator Tool can be used to find locations to drop off these items. Set the filter to ‘walking aids’.

A collection bin is located outside the main entrance of the Golden Jubilee Wing at the King’s College Hospital site. King’s College Hospital asks the public to wipe any items down before bringing them to the collection bin.

The scheme aims to roll out to other sites over the coming months.

This builds on King’s College Hospital’s commitment to environmental sustainability as set out in its Green Plan.

Reusing walking aids aims to reduce the carbon footprint and waste sent to landfill. Manufacturing one walking frame creates the same emissions as driving for 50 miles.

If just two out of every five walking aids were returned, it could save around £40,000 and 30 tonnes of carbon.

Chief of Therapies, Rehabilitation and Allied Clinical Services, Kate Gregory said: “Walking aids often play a key role in helping patients recover from illness, build their independence and support mobility.

“Returning these aids will help us protect the environment, provide patients with the equipment they need, and save money which can be better spent elsewhere.”

Last year, Medequip in collaboration with York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust hosted two equipment amnesty days at York and Scarborough Hospitals.

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