NHS SBS facilities management framework could save health and public sector millions

A part Department of Health-owned joint venture, aiming to save the NHS £1 billion in efficiencies by 2020, has launched a new procurement framework designed to save the NHS, local government and the wider public sector millions of pounds on everything from security to catering.

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), which has already helped the NHS deliver £350m of savings back into frontline care, said its new facilities management framework is the first to offer such a fully-comprehensive range of services needed by the NHS and other public sector organisations, from both national suppliers and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Offering services that range from asbestos removal to PAT testing, laundry, catering and the management of grounds and gardens, the framework has been developed in consultation with NHS SBS’s hundreds of diverse customers throughout the NHS and public sector, to ensure a complete set of requirements is now being matched.

It is estimated that efficiencies in security services alone could conservatively save both the NHS and local government £6m every year. Given the breadth of services on offer and the volume of NHS and public sector buyers that are being given access to the framework, total savings for the taxpayer could be much higher.

Peter Akid, director of procurement at NHS Shared Business Services. said: “This framework is a real opportunity for the NHS and other organisations across the public sector to harness their buying power and to start realising considerable savings on widely-used services immediately.

“Fully compliant with European procurement laws and offering virtually every service required in NHS and public sector estates, the facilities management framework really is a one-stop shop for the public sector. It means procurement teams will no longer need to manage multiple frameworks or embark on costly and time-consuming local tendering.”

NHS SBS has ensured that the framework is OJEU complaint, saving valuable time and money in procurement processes for buyers. A typical OJEU procurement can take up to nine months, at a cost of up to £90,000 per procurement, but through the framework, this can be avoided.

At the same time, mini competitions can be run off the back of the framework to allow any bespoke requirements to be met.

Suppliers are also being encouraged to continue to offer new products and services through the framework, which offers protection to buyers with robust terms and conditions, along with fixed prices for a minimum of two years.