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Crown Commercial Service agrees to fund two key initiatives to boost commercial capability across NHS.

• Crown Commercial Service agrees to fund two key initiatives to boost commercial capability across NHS 
• Supports new Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial, designed to raise productivity and efficiency through commercial practice 
• NHS Commercial officers will be upskilled and accredited in contract management and new procurement regulations to support commercial capability in the NHS

Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the UK’s largest public procurement organisation, will fund two NHS England initiatives which aim to boost commercial capability and improve efficiency, patient care and reduce waiting lists.

CCS will provide NHS England with over £15 million funding - an average of £5.3 million each year over the next 3 years - to support NHS Energy Management Capability and to create a first of its kind NHS Commercial Learning & Development Academy, offering the health service’s commercial staff access to a range of learning and development opportunities to deliver a best-in-class workforce. 

The training programme supports the Government’s agenda to grow the economy by ensuring that contracting authorities are able to effectively manage all the key stages of commercial delivery. This will also help support delivery of wider NHS objectives, attaining better value and delivering world-class patient care.

The NHS uses energy to provide key care services for 1.6million people every day. For example, energy is needed for staff to clean an area the size of Gibraltar and to provide 326,880 meals for patients and staff. CCS’s investment will support  NHS commercial and business colleagues buying and managing energy consumption, and deliver better Training on best practice skills and ways of working to improve the way that energy is procured and managed in the NHS in England. These improvements will significantly contribute to finding efficiencies, whilst supporting NHS net zero ambitions.

The initiatives align with the new Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial, launched in November 2023, which marks a step change in the way that NHS Commercial will work.

This latest investment is part of CCS’s ongoing strategy to fund commercial capability improvements across the public sector. In 2022, CCS provided investment to support NHS England’s roll out of one e-commerce system as a common procurement platform across Trusts. The platform is seeing accelerated adoption and is enabling the NHS to consolidate the procurement landscape and use commercial data more effectively.

Jacqui Rock, Chief Commercial Officer for NHS England said: 

“These exciting initiatives working in partnership with Crown Commercial Service will help the NHS continue to deliver on our commitments to patients and our workforce, while providing the best value for money for the taxpayer. 

“Our teams will be fully supported to deliver a best-in-class commercial function, ensuring the best purchasing decisions for the NHS and driving further efficiencies to help improve care for patients.”

David Skinner, Director of Business Development and Customer Experience at CCS says:

“I’m delighted that NHS England and CCS are entering into another formal partnership agreement. We’re making this investment so that we can continue to support the NHS, and enable better outcomes for our customers. CCS is passionate about our commitment to our National Health Service and working together to positively change patients’ lives.”

A Department of Health and Social Care Spokesperson said:

“This innovative cross-government collaboration supports our mission to build an NHS fit for the future. The initiative is an example of our government’s commitment to sustaining and growing partnerships across the NHS and arm’s length bodies that support workforce development, increase value for money and improve patient care”