NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Delivering innovative solutions to the public sector

PDMS have been very effective at developing solutions to meet our changing business requirements. On a technical level, we have been impressed by their innovation and ability

Rachel Hodson-Gibbons, E-Commerce Development Manager, NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Background

The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is an executive agency of the Department of Health and has a key role to modernise the purchasing and supply function across the NHS. The NHS Logistics Authority is a special health authority within the NHS and provides an efficient stock and distribution service to ward level within NHS trusts for a wide range of products. Combined, the two organisations influence over 2.5 billion of NHS expenditure every year. They negotiate with over 1400 suppliers to offer the NHS the best value for money on supplies. Note: trusts' staff are independent of the Agency or NHS Logistics.

Challenge

The sheer size and complexity of the NHS catalogues meant that the development of an electronic version was essential. Not only would considerable cost savings be achieved but it would also significantly reduce the practical problems associated with supplying updated information in paper format.

The electronic versions were to be a vital source of information for NHS users of the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and NHS Logistics Authority catalogues, The CD versions would enable customers to receive an up-to-date catalogue of contracts and stock lines on a monthly basis.

Solution

PDMS was awarded the contract to develop a CD version of the NHS catalogue in April 1998, with the first issue being released in July of that year. In April 2000, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and the NHS Logistics Authority were formed from the now defunct NHS Supplies. Two separate catalogues were produced, both of which continue to be developed in association with PDMS. New catalogues covering pharmacy and rehabilitation products have also been launched. The CDs used a database publishing system developed by PDMS, which provided comprehensive search and indexing facilities along with full support for multimedia content. The published database was optimised for CD providing lightening fast searching even on slower older systems. The major advantage of the PDMS solution for the NHS is the combination of a robust, high performance data management system with complete flexibility in the design of the system seen by the user. Through a feedback mechanism within the catalogue NHS trusts are directly involved in the continual development of the catalogues. Approximately 3000 CDs per catalogue were distributed per month to NHS trusts across England

The system is based upon a Windows program and a secure data file held on the CD. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and NHS Logistics Authority required access to the same information, and where possible the same functions. This was achieved by accessing the CD over the NHS Net. An essential requirement of the project was to provide the same data, and as far as possible the same function as the current CD versions through a standard Web browser, which emulated the Windows system, interface as closely as possible. In August 1999 the electronic catalogues were implemented by PDMS onto the NHS Net. These catalogues provided the same functionality as the CD catalogues and were updated once a month in conjunction with the release of the new CD catalogues, providing information on products and contracts to purchasing managers across the NHS network.

Benefits

The catalogues revolutionised the distribution of this information throughout the NHS. The electronic catalogue enabled dynamic presentation of the contract information, with comprehensive search and indexing facilities, dynamic email and url links to suppliers and buyers alike as well as a shopping basket function enabling the user to compile a 'shopping list' directly from the CD. PDMS have delivered a solution which provides complete flexibility in the design of the system; this enabled the catalogue to develop and meet the changing requirements of NHS purchasing managers. It accommodated a wide range of contracts and over 130,000 products - providing product information for ease of ordering everything from bandages to fruit juice.

Efficient data processing was paramount to the ongoing success of these projects. The catalogues provided a 'monthly information platform' to NHS purchasing managers and were used to carry additional information that changed frequently, such as staff directories and new updates. Significant cost savings have been achieved by producing electronic catalogues to replace paper based versions. In April 2000 the NHS Purchasing Contracts CD-ROM/ Web Catalogue was commended in the UK Government Computing Innovation Awards within 'The best project for improving the way the public services operate' category.