We are BCHC
Procurement
We deliver effective and efficient procurement support to ensure statutory compliance, aid in delivering world class care for our patients and demonstrate value for money
Welcome to Procurement
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust receives its procurement support on a shared basis from the BSOL Procurement Collaborative.
The BSOL Procurement Collaborative is hosted by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham Community and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health. This collaboration enables greater operational efficiencies to be delivered for the benefit of the Birmingham and Solihull Healthcare System.
Our Senior Management Team (SMT) is led by Simon Clarke the Managing Director (MD) of BSOL Procurement Collaborative. Simon regularly contributes at local, regional, and national level representation and oversees the strategic development of the service ensuring adherence to the agreed commercial model, effective use of resources and efficiency opportunities, ensuring that the benefits, key targets, and objectives including financial savings as agreed in the accountability agreement are delivered.
The SMT report into the quarterly Partnership Board and Chair the ‘BSOL Procurement Collaborative Operational Delivery Group’ meetings and provide updates as required.
The SMT will also seek approval for any future service developments, enhancements and changes including any significant contracts and major projects.
The team provides Procurement and Supply Chain services across the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (ICS) to:
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
The BSOL Procurement team plays a key role in supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care whilst ensuring value for money is achieved across the ICS. We are one of the first Procurement teams to work across an entire ICS and were recent winners of the Healthcare and Supply Association (HCSA) award 2023 for ’The Procurement and Supply Chain Team of the Year’.
As a team we are very passionate about Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) as it brings together a multitude of ideas and perspectives, igniting innovation and creativity. We have supported our team with professional accreditation and training as evidenced by our latest ‘Good’ CCIAF procurement standards accreditation (to be re-self-assessed in early 2024). We will continue to develop and grow our resources to ensure that effective in-house skills are maintained and further developed, whilst continuing to work with other Regional and National Procurement Bodies to supplement our own capacity.
The Team’s strategic areas of focus are as follows:
Strategic Procurement Team
The Strategic Procurement team will ensure that the service is aligned to national requirements and legislation, including PPN’s (Procurement Policy Notices) and the CCIAF Standards, Net Zero targets, Modern Slavery Act and Social Value and Sustainability.
The strategic procurement team collate an annual workplan and agree CIP targets with Finance leads and contribute to Outline Business Cases where relevant/ required.
The team also produce strategic sourcing documents for all major projects as well as contract award reports for appropriate prior approval before formal award of relevant projects, depending on contract value.
All contracts will be awarded in compliance with relevant procurement law, Trust SFIs, and Scheme of Delegation.
Generic Strategic Sourcing inbox for queries if you are unsure of a contact: BSOLCategoryTeams@uhb.nhs.uk
Clinical Procurement Specialist Team
The Clinical Procurement Specialist (CPS) team comprises of Clinical experts and administrative staff who provide clinical expertise, knowledge, and support within the BSOL Procurement Collaborative.
The CPS team work closely with the SMT utilising clinical knowledge to assist with meeting strategic objectives of the BSOL Procurement Collaborative.
The CPS Team will work closely with stakeholders to promote best practice and governance to ensure local and national procurement standards are met.
The CPS team report to the Head of Clinical Procurement and provide information, support and updates as required including sourcing alternative products during stockouts or national shortages and ensuring standardisation across the ICS.
Generic CPS team inbox for queries if you are unsure of a contact: ProcurementCPSTeam@uhb.nhs.uk
Data Analytics, Catalogue and Systems Team
The Data Team provide support to the wider Procurement Team, Warehouse Logistics Team, and all other Stakeholders of BSOL Procurement Collaborative and Birmingham and Solihull ICS.
Our Data Team is also responsible for the management and administration of various NHS systems, Reporting and Contract Management of our critical Systems Suppliers.
The team is split across two essential functions, managing the BSOL Master Products Catalogue and the Reporting and Systems functionality.
We also provide Systems support for the ROH Integra ERP as System administrators.
Generic Data team inbox for queries if you are unsure of a contact: ProcurementData@uhb.nhs.uk
Transactional Procurement Team
The Transactional Procurement Team support with the timely processing of Purchase Orders across the ICS.
We have set Buyers that support each individual Trust within our ICS with their E-Procurement System and compliance of their SFI’s. Currently we are supporting six different ordering systems.
To ensure resilience planning all our Buyers are trained on multiple ERP systems.
We are currently in the process of setting up a small internal Helpdesk Support team within Procurement to be the first point of contact for all stakeholders. This team will then triage the query in a timely manner to the relevant team if they are unable to directly support in the first instance.
Generic all Buyers Inbox for queries if you are unsure of a contact: BSOLProcurementBuyers@uhb.nhs.uk
Pharmacy Procurement Team
The Pharmacy Procurement Team comprises a mixture of registered Pharmacy Technicians and Admin Staff who are responsible for the safe and cost-effective purchasing of all medication across the UHB sites.
The Pharmacy Procurement Team works with stakeholders to ensure medication is purchased in line with current regulations, Trust SFIs, and in line with Medicines Management Advisory Group (MMAG), Formulary and Commissioning guidelines.
We work with clinical teams to make sure National Commercial Medicine Unit (CMU) contracts and frameworks are implemented as soon as safely possible, providing best value procurement to the Trust.
The team manages supply issues with medication, alongside the Medicines Optimisation Leads, when necessary, to ensure patient care is not compromised by stock issues. We manage and update ward stocklists for all wards and clinics.
Generic Pharmacy team inboxes for queries if you are unsure of a contact: Pharmacy.Procurement@uhb.nhs.uk or BuyingOfficePharmacy@uhb.nhs.uk