Introduction
At Baker Stuart we have worked closely with the NHS over the last few years, providing support for key projects, including Hywel Dda University Trust, NHS Property Services and other bodies that have wanted to better understand their estates and to make the right property decisions for the future.
As part of our commitment to these projects, and to make the best use of the experience and expertise we have in this area; understanding the particular needs of these organisations and how best to create portfolios that reflect “new ways of working”, we can announce that we are now a Framework Agreement Supplier to NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS).
But what does this mean, why is it important and how does it help those organisations that have questions about their estates?
Background to the NHS Shared Business Services
The NHS SBS was created in 2004 to be a centralised, national provider of corporate services to the NHS. Created by the Department of Health and Social Care, their intention was twofold; to make life easier for NHS employees, patients and the suppliers they worked with whilst ensuring that they delivered value for money to the UK taxpayer.
Their vision is;
“Helping the NHS to save money and enhance quality so that the NHS can improve health, innovate to save lives and deliver better outcomes with care and compassion.”
NHS SBS Framework Agreements in numbers
Across the Framework Agreements there are currently over 2000 approved organisations who can benefit from;
- 10 lots* that organisations can access suppliers through
- 165 awarded suppliers
- 2 routes to market – the opportunity to use both direct award and further competition
- A 3-year duration that allows for relationships to be built and developed with the right suppliers (available from March 2024) with the option to extend to 2028
*Baker Stuart are delighted to be an awarded supplier for Lot 1: Business leadership, management, governance, structure and strategy.
Access to the NHS SBS Framework Agreements
Whilst initially conceived as a vehicle to support NHS bodies in delivering their objectives, this scope has widened over time and across the following categories – Estates and Construction, Business Services, IT & Digital and Health – suppliers can be accessed by those in a number of sectors beyond the NHS including;
- Local Authorities / LEAs
- Further and Higher Education
- Housing Associations
- Emergency Services
- Museums, galleries etc
- The Prison Service
- Community Interest Companies
Given the work that we have completed within a number of these areas, Baker Stuart are well placed to support a significant number of organisations through the framework.
Benefits of leveraging a Framework Agreement
Whilst there are a number of reasons to use a framework agreement – from compliance purposes to efficiency savings and access to experts – the NHS SBS have identified key benefits that working within their framework agreements can bring;
- A gateway to NHS and the wider public sector market
- Ability for customers to direct award to suppliers on the framework
- More commitment-based relationships
- Simplified tendering processes
- An entry point for introducing innovation
More information
Should you wish to learn more about how you could benefit from the NHS SBS Framework Agreements then we’d be delighted to discuss this with you, or you can utilise the following resources;
Website: NHS SBS Framework
LinkedIn page with a number of useful posts and resources: Linkedin/NHS Shared Business Services
