3 August 2010
An updated NHS capital procurement system will save more than £200m over the next six years, health ministers said today.
The system, Procure 21+, will make it easier for NHS trusts to appoint construction companies for hospital refurbishments and building. It will also introduce greater transparency as construction companies will publish performance data online, allowing NHS trusts to make informed choices about the contractors they use.
Procure 21+ builds on Procure 21, which the Department of Health says has become the most popular procurement route for the NHS’s capital programmes. It allows the NHS to choose from six pre-approved companies and speeds up the procurement process by at least six months, allowing work to begin within six weeks.
Launching Procure 21+ today, health minister Simon Burns said: ‘The new system will cut bureaucratic waste and allow the NHS to reinvest savings directly into services for patients.
‘Hospital refurbishments under this system will be quicker and more cost effective, ensuring that patients receive their treatment in a clean, safe and efficient environment.’
Procure 21+ will start on October 1 and run for six years.
The six approved companies in Procure 21+ are: Balfour Beatty Group, HealthcarePartnership Solutions, IntegratedHealth Projects, InterserveProject Services, Kier Regional, and Willmott Dixon Holdings.
