NHS Arden & GEM CSU has been successful at this year’s Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Supply Management Award in the ‘International Procurement Project’ category.
Respected as the benchmark for procurement and supply chain excellence, the prestigious awards took place in London on 12 September 2018. The CSU’s procurement team was recognised in the ‘International Procurement Project’ category for a highly complex procurement programme, run in partnership with and on behalf of NHS England Specialised Commissioning, to increase access to Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) treatment for NHS cancer patients.
Since 2008, the NHS has sent over 1,000 cancer patients (the majority of who are children) overseas, primarily to the United States, for PBT treatment. While an NHS PBT service is under development, NHS England recognised that until this service is fully operational there was a clear need for additional provision closer to home.
This triggered an eight month procurement process which has successfully appointed a supplier in Germany under a new contract which will not only extend treatment to more patients but is also estimated to deliver savings in excess of £2 million over the next three years. This will ensure treatment can continue to be provided until two new NHS centres are complete and fully able to meet demand.
“We are delighted to have received this recognition for a hugely complex and sensitive procurement. Thanks to the vision of NHS England and brilliant engagement from clinicians, we were able to design a successful procurement process which will make a real difference for patients with rare cancers, by increasing PBT treatment capacity and access. Our winning project demonstrates the opportunities that are available through collaborative working and is a great honour for both our procurement team and for Specialised Commissioning.”
Surinder Kahlon, Senior Procurement Manager at NHS Arden & GEM CSU
Read more about the project to increase access to PBT treatment here.
This was Arden & GEM's second successful year in a row at the CIPS Supply Management Awards, having picked up the ‘Best Public Procurement Project’ in 2017.