Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risks to the continuity of supply of vital NHS HealthTech products as a result of changes to NHS procurement through the implementation of the new Operating Model; and if he will make a statement.

Continuity of supply is a key consideration in all sourcing activity undertaken by NHS Supply Chain. NHS Supply Chain also supports the Department’s Supply Resilience and Emergency Preparedness workstreams.

Companies which have an innovation that they believe will provide demonstrable benefits to the National Health Service in terms of patient outcomes and/or the future sustainability of the NHS are already being signposted to HeathTech Connect to submit their innovation along with the corresponding evidence to substantiate their claims. In addition to this, NHS Supply Chain, as part of the new operating model, assure that products procured on behalf of the NHS are value for money in terms of formal evaluations to determine the relative costs and benefits of each product. All products must also be safe and meet health and care professional and patient needs consistently via the Clinical and Product Assurance function.