21 March 2003
The Welsh Assembly has said it will 'consider in depth' a National Audit Office recommendation to restructure the way its NHS directorate procures medicines, after auditors said it could save £50m a year.
A report by the NAO, published on March 20, suggests that the Assembly should pilot centralised contracts for a small number of primary care – general practice – medicines. The NAO suggested that such contracts for 300 widely-used medicines would have saved the Welsh NHS up to £50m of 2001 expenditure.
Auditors admitted, however, that the exact savings that could be made under a fully centralised procurement system were difficult to quantify because of factors such as shortages of supply.
A spokesman for the Assembly said: 'We will consider these recommendations. It would require a major reorganisation in the health sector, so these decisions cannot be taken lightly, but we are always on the lookout for savings.'
NAO chief Sir John Bourn warned: 'There appears to be scope for the Assembly to use its powers to explore improvements in value for money.'
PFmar2003
