Supplier Notice
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Supplier Notice
Procurement & Supply Chain - Introduction
As a public body, the Trust is legally bound to ensure it achieves value for money, in respect of all the goods and services it purchases. This must be without compromise to patient care or quality. This requirement is underpinned in the Trust’s Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and Standing Orders (SO).
The Department is accredited to CCIAF standards, in line with Government Commercial Function standards.
The Team
We have a team of procurement and supply chain professionals who oversee all aspects of our procurement and supply chain activity and provide a comprehensive and compliant commercial service.
The team is responsible for the whole procurement lifecycle, including:
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Defining the business need
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Conducting market analysis
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Developing the Procurement Strategy
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Performing market testing/pre-market engagement
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Developing tender documentation and detailed specifications
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Managing the tender process
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Bidding and tender evaluation
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Contract award recommendation and implementation
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Warehouse logistics and receipt
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Inventory Management
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Contract performance and improvement
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Cost savings identification, negotiation and implementation
Procurement Regulations
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust and the wider NHS are governed by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Provider Selection Regime and the Procurement Act 2023.
Our eCommercial System (Atamis)
Atamis is the single Health Family eCommercial System that enables the large majority of NHS organisations to undertake procurement planning, tender, contract and supplier management. For suppliers, Atamis is the tool that allows suppliers to find and access procurement opportunities with the majority of the NHS directly. It also allows suppliers to complete the Evergreen sustainable supplier assessment. This enables suppliers to engage with the NHS on their sustainability journey and understand how to align with the NHS net zero and sustainability ambitions, including those set out in the NHS net zero supplier roadmap.
No pre-requisites are required before registering for Atamis . Once registered, the system provides access to published tender notices, user guides and allows business alerts to be set up to notify suppliers about relevant business opportunities as and when they appear on the system.
Procurement Pipeline
In line with the requirements of The Procurement Act 2023, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust will be publishing information on its future commercial activity on the Government's Find a Tender portal.
The commercial pipeline is a forward look at potential commercial activity with an estimated value of more than £2 million, whereby the Trust intends to not use a Framework Agreement and plans to publish a tender notice or transparency notice,
The eventual procurement and implementation of projects will be dependent upon completion of a business case and other approvals, and subject to change in the light of prioritisation, organisation and budgetary circumstances.
How frameworks are used
Framework agreements are the most common way of buying products in the NHS. They enable buyers to place orders without running a lengthy full tendering exercise and to draw from a predetermined list of accredited suppliers. It also means that buyers do not have to approach all suppliers in the market, and should, as a result, make the buying process easier and more cost effective.
To help simplify the landscape, remove duplication, and reduce costs, NHS England’s Central Commercial Function started a Framework Accreditation Programme in August 2023. It requires NHS buyers to buy relevant products, services and works, via nationally accredited frameworks and framework hosts.
Further useful information:
Purchase orders
Suppliers will need an NHS Shared Business Services account. The contract manager should be provided with their company information including banking information and contact details.
The supplier should be in receipt of a valid purchase order (PO), or as a minimum the PO number, before providing the goods or services. The email contact details provided are used to issue the electronic copy of the purchase order.
Accounts payable
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust accounts payable partner and sets up the purchase to pay (P2P) invoice process. The Trust’s standard terms are 30 days from receipt of an acceptable invoice. The resolution of non-compliant invoices is led by NHS SBS in the first instance.
Please note, for any changes in supplier contact information and bank details, a supplier amendment request form needs to be submitted to NHS SBS, who will perform rigorous checks.
Here you will find advice and guidelines for submitting invoices -
To help ensure NHS SBS can process invoices quickly and efficiently -
Commonly used terms and conditions
It’s important that any supplier wishing to bid for work reads through the tender and associated specification and make sure they understand and can adhere to the proposed contract over the whole scope of the work before bidding. The terms and conditions applicable to a contract will vary depending on the requirements and the procurement approach. The proposed contract terms and condition are supplied at the tendering stage. Any questions suppliers have concerning the contract can be asked through the Atamis procurement system, to ensure process transparency.
The NHS standard purchase order terms and conditions apply to procurements below £10,000 and non-clinical services or where no specific terms and conditions have been issued. For clinical services, the NHS Standard Contract is applied.
Contact us:
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
Hinchingbrooke Hospital | Procurement & Supply Chain Dept.
Hinchingbrooke Park | Huntingdon | PE29 6NT
General Procurement & Supply Chain queries –
Hinchingbrooke Hospital Redevelopment Procurement queries –