NHS Trust purchasing slammed by auditors as "poor value for money"

In a report published today, the NAO (National Audit Office) said fragmented purchasing of basic supplies, including medical equipment and stationery, represents “poor value for money”. The spend amounts to £4.6 billion a year.

The NAO estimated at least £500 million could be saved annually if trusts bought in a more collaborative way. The government’s plans to decentralise the NHS puts efficient buying at risk, it added, because it secures no commitment from hospitals to purchase a single item or class of supplies.


Trusts are not getting value for money because they purchase many different types of the same product. This included 21 varieties of A4 paper, 652 types of medical gloves and 1,751 different cannulas across all hospitals.

Although trusts can use regional procurement hubs and a national supplies and distribution organisation, the report said, “there is no requirement for them to do so”, and they are free to buy directly from suppliers. Some hospitals were incurring unnecessary administrative costs by making multiple, small purchase orders.

The majority of hospital trusts - 129 out of 165 - are foundation trusts which are outside the Department of Health’s (DH) direct control. Under the Health and Social Care Bill, the government hopes to turn all hospital trusts into foundation trusts.

By 2015, the NHS must find £15 billion to £20 billion of annual efficiency savings.
A DH statement said: "The more efficient the NHS becomes, the more we can invest back into patient care.  While it is up to local hospitals to decide how they purchase products, government has a role in providing support and robust information. We are therefore considering launching a review to help hospitals get better value for money from procurement, drawing on the expertise of government advisers."

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Artificial Pancreas could help Pregnant Diabetics

A wearable artificial pancreas could control type 1 diabetes during pregnancy, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cambridge University in the UK.
Researchers tested the artificial pancreas with ten pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, and found that the device provided the right amount of insulin, maintained near normal blood sugar, and prevented dangerous drops in blood-sugar levels at night.
The artificial pancreas, created by combining a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump, works by automatically monitoring blood glucose and pumping insulin to maintain the right sugar levels.
Although previous studies showed that the device could help children with type 1 diabetes, this is the first study where it has been successfully tested on pregnant women.
Due to high glucose levels in women with diabetes, their babies are five times more likely to be stillborn, three times more likely to die in their first months of life and twice as likely to have a major deformity, the researchers noted.

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