The NHS has rolled out a new value-based procurement framework across England that will change how healthcare technologies and medical devices are assessed and purchased.
The framework, developed over more than three years, is designed to move procurement decisions beyond upfront cost and place greater emphasis on wider measures of value, including patient outcomes, patient experience and environmental impact.
The move has been welcomed by healthcare policy experts and medtech stakeholders, who say the approach could help ensure NHS purchasing decisions better reflect the long-term impact of healthcare technologies.
“For many years, procurement decisions across parts of the NHS have too often been driven primarily by upfront cost,” said Chris Whitehouse, Director of Health and MedTech Policy at Whitehouse Communications, which advises medical device suppliers.
Despite the rollout of the value-base procurement, successful implementation will depend on how effectively the new framework is adopted across NHS organisations, with attention needed on procurement culture, decision-making processes and stakeholder involvement.
Whitehouse said that changing procurement practices would require more than a new framework alone.
“Changing procurement frameworks on paper is relatively straightforward. Changing behaviours and cultures that have developed over many years is much harder,” he said.
A key element of the approach will be ensuring clinicians are involved earlier in procurement decisions, reflecting their understanding of how technologies perform in real-world healthcare settings and their impact on patient care.
The framework also highlights the importance of considering patient experience when assessing value, including how products and technologies affect areas such as independence, dignity and quality of life.
The rollout of value-based procurement forms part of broader NHS efforts to improve efficiency, support innovation and deliver better outcomes for patients through a more outcomes-focused approach to healthcare purchasing.
