The Chartered institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) has awarded NHS Arden & GEM, a Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) working across the health and care sector in England, standard level in the Procurement Excellence Programme (PEP).
PEP is a globally-recognised award demonstrating how well organisations are performing with their procurement and supply chain activities. The award drives regular improvements, building a competitive edge and highlighting procurement’s role as a fundamental part of an organisation’s business and strategy.
Arden & GEM works as part of the NHS to build a system focused on prevention, personalisation and innovative, sustainable new models for modern healthcare. Arden & GEM’s procurement team provides effective internal support to the CSU’s other functions, typically managing corporate spend on technology, IT systems, estates and operations. The service also acts as a strategic partner to more than 25 health and care commissioners, supporting high value healthcare procurements that deliver financial benefits for the system while improving outcomes for patients.
Alan Martin, Head of Procurement Excellence at CIPS said, “It was good to work with an eager team full of ideas and challenging their own systems and processes to think in a different way and meet the challenges of PEP.
“It was particularly good to see different teams brought in from different locations within the service and working together to achieve the award. Collaborative working is a key differentiator in teams that are successful. Well done to all involved.”
“With the current financial challenges in the healthcare sector, driving sustainable approaches to procurement that deliver efficient, high quality services is a priority for all organisations. I’m proud that our procurement team is playing such a key role in realising this ambition and that we are the first CSU to have achieved the globally recognised CIPS accreditation standard, setting new standards for the market.”
Gill Scoular, Deputy Managing Director at Arden & GEM
Warren Simms, Procurement Director at Arden & GEM commented: “This prestigious endorsement of Arden & GEM’s commitment to procurement excellence recognises the hard work and expertise of the service. It provides assurance to our customers that we have robust systems and processes in place, that have stood up to independent scrutiny, and that we continually challenge and improve our ways of working to deliver the highest possible standards.
“This process has also had a positive impact on staff morale and confidence which sets us up to manage the challenges that lie ahead.”
For more information about Arden & GEM's award-winning procurement service, click here.