§ Lord Merlyn-Reesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for modernising NHS procurement. [HL3243]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Hayman)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has published the report of a Cabinet Office review of NHS procurement, which sets out a range of recommendations to develop NHS procurement. Copies have been placed in the Library. We have accepted the broad thrust of these recommendations and the Department of Health. NHS Trusts and the NHS Supplies Authority will now start to put in place the new arrangements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of purchasing and supply in the NHS.
A key recommendation was to establish a supplies co-ordination body, drawn from the existing NHS Supplies Authority purchasing and strategy functions, to provide a stronger central focus for procurement work. We are announcing today our intention to establish an NHS purchasing and supply agency from 1 April 2000 to take this work forward in the Department of Health.