Incontinence: Products

(asked on 23rd May 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of clinically unsuitable absorbent continence products in (a) the NHS and (b) social care on (i) whole system costs and (ii) patient outcomes.


Answered by
Will Quince Portrait
Will Quince
This question was answered on 6th June 2023

All suppliers and products on the NHS Supply Chain framework must meet industry standards and a quality specification to be awarded onto the framework. Products are categorised using the Rothwell scale which measures the level of absorbency.

NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) conducts significant engagement with colleagues across health and social care to ensure that the customer voice is captured, and National Health Service requirements understood. NHSSC engages with suppliers, trade associations, professional bodies and expert reference groups to ensure robust and sustainable frameworks are put in place for the longer term, both commercially and from a supply resilience perspective, whilst meeting the functional and safety needs of customers and patients.

In addition, the Government's new Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023, further commits to developing an environment that supports the understanding and delivery of value for money and affordability across the whole patient pathway, using high-quality data to ensure that prices are reasonable for both the health system and sustainable for suppliers.

Reticulating Splines