Wednesday 14th May, 2014

The Department of Health (DoH) has launched the NHS eProcurement strategy to introduce e-procurement across the NHS. By using the new strategy the NHS could potentially save £3m-£5m per hospital.

NHS eProcurement strategy report sets out how e-procurement can better support the NHS procurement processes that manage transactions and pricing with suppliers.

It sets out define standards to ensure NHS e-procurement systems work together and require the adoption of standards by the NHS (GS1 coding and PEPPOL, for purchase orders).

The report also includes the investment in technology solutions that will support e-procurement implementation by the NHS establish a single NHS spend analysis and price benchmarking service.

"We’re delighted that the Department of Health has taken this step to improve access to eProcurement through the launch of this new strategy" explains David Rabjohns, eCommerce Enterprise Architect at NHS Supply Chain.

He added: “As a business, we greatly support the introduction of a new ‘common standards’ based approach to data processing for the NHS. This strategy will allow transparency throughout the NHS procurement process, simplifying the supply chain, driving cost efficiencies, increasing accuracy and allowing greater compliance.  It will also enable a more unified system of procurement across the NHS, enabling product comparison, aggregation and standardisation across trusts.”