Asteral accepted onto MES procurement framework

Asteral has been appointed to the NHS Commercial Solutions(NHSCS) framework to supply Managed Equipment Services (MES), Managed Maintenance Services (MMS) and professional planning services to health trusts across England.

The framework, which went live on 13 February, runs for four years and is available to all NHS bodies as a quick, secure and low-cost procurement route.

Christopher Langley, Asteral chief executive, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity and we’re really pleased to be working in partnership with NHSCS. This appointment not only recognises the quality of services that we provide, but will help many more trusts access them, easily and quickly, while retaining the benefits of a competitive tender process.

“Our team of clinical, financial and technical experts works closely with hospitals to maximise existing equipment and deliver new technology, without requiring any upfront investment. We can also significantly reduce costs for a trust via our maintenance service, which consolidates all existing maintenance contracts into a single arrangement, removing the complexity of legacy processes and providing a single point of contact.”

Phil Spicer, associate procurement director at NHSCS, added: “It’s great to be able to offer these market-leading services to trusts. We’ve worked hard to ensure that we have the best suppliers and processes in place so that our customers don’t have to. Working closely with trusts, we provide expert information and advice to ensure a hassle-free means of procuring the most effective solution.”