Procurement

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (OHFT) Procurement supports the delivery of high‑quality patient care by ensuring that goods, services and works are sourced safely, compliantly, ethically, and with value for money. All activity aligns with NHS best practice and public‑sector regulations.

Our Procurement Team works collaboratively with clinical and corporate colleagues, suppliers, and system partners to deliver sustainable outcomes that benefit patients, staff, and the wider community.

What we do

The OHFT Procurement function provides end to end commercial support across the Trust, including:

• Strategic sourcing and tendering for goods, services and works.
• Contract management and post award assurance.
• e Procurement and catalogue management.
• Supplier relationship management.
• Commercial advice and governance.
• Support with NHS Supply Chain and collaborative frameworks.

Our role is not just to buy, but to enable safe, compliant and efficient purchasing that supports frontline services.

Our procurement principles (NHS Best Practice)

OHFT Procurement operates in line with recognised NHS and public sector best practice principles:

1. Patient centred value

• Procurement decisions are aligned to clinical outcomes, safety and quality.
• Whole life cost and value are considered, not just price.

2. Compliance and governance

• Adherence to public procurement legislation, NHS policies and Trust Standing Financial Instructions.
• Transparent, auditable and proportionate procurement processes.

3. Collaboration

• Use of NHS Supply Chain, collaborative frameworks and system wide opportunities.
• Partnership working with clinicians, services and system ICS partners.

4. Sustainability and social value

• Supporting the NHS Net Zero ambitions.
• Embedding social value, ethical sourcing and responsible supply chains.

5. Commercial excellence

• Clear specifications, robust contracts and active contract management.
• Data driven decision making and continuous improvement.

How we buy

OHFT uses a range of compliant routes to market, depending on value, risk and complexity:

• NHS Supply Chain catalogues and frameworks (preferred route where available).
• Approved national and regional frameworks.
• Trust led competitive procurements.
• Collaborative procurements with other NHS organisations.

Procurement transparency

UK Government’s official online digital platform for public sector tenders is now the Find a Tender service, which operates as the Central Digital Platform (CDP) under the Procurement Act 2023.

Website: www.find-tender.service.gov.uk

Types of tenders published

 Find a Tender now includes opportunities for:

• Regulated above threshold procurements as per the Procurement Act 2023.
• Regulated procurements below threshold but over £12,000.

All purchasing must follow the Trust’s Purchase to Pay (P2P) process, ensuring:

• Approved requisitions
• Purchase Orders raised before goods or services are ordered (NO PO NO PAY)
• Accurate receipting and compliant invoicing

Contract management

Effective contract management is critical to achieving value and managing risk.

OHFT operates a Contract Management Framework (CMF) that:

• Defines clear roles and responsibilities post award.
• Requires Contract Management Plans for key contracts.
• Monitors performance, risk, compliance and value delivery
• Supports continuous improvement and issue resolution.

This ensures contracts remain safe, effective and value for money throughout their lifecycle.

Working with suppliers

We aim to build open, fair and professional relationships with our suppliers.

Suppliers can expect:

• Fair and transparent procurement processes.
• Clear documentation and evaluation criteria.
• Prompt payment in line with NHS standards.
• Proportionate and ethical contract management.

Suppliers are expected to:

• Comply with Trust and NHS policies.
• Support sustainability and social value commitments.
• Submit compliant invoices linked to valid Purchase Orders.

Please note that Oxford Health operate under the NHS terms and conditions for the procurement of goods and non-clinical services.

Contact procurement

Please contact the Procurement Team for advice, support or guidance.

Email: Strategic.Procurement@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk