The Director of NHS Scotland National Procurement has told a conference of NHS, industry and third sector leaders that, by “operating collectively”, NHS Scotland can deliver the change needed for health and care staff and patients.

Leading the national procurement programme for NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), Gordon Beattie said across the more than two decades he’s worked in the NHS, he has seen “steady and consistent” progress on collaboration:

“We had 43 individual trusts and health boards all competing against one another. That has moved from that position to where we are today: to a sense of a fully joined up, collaborative approach to delivering for our patients and communities.

“You see other parts of the UK swinging from one plan to another, whereas NHS Scotland has been on a consistent journey of collective working and common purpose.”

He added that a “golden thread” of improvement runs right through NHS Scotland National Procurement, which oversees the purchasing of medical tech and healthcare goods and services across the country.

Mr Beattie said that “now more than ever”, the work of the NHS across Scotland is underpinned by the same core values, practice and workforce, in a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach.

He said this shift from an “utterly different world” of health boards not being able to share which services and products they are buying has made a fundamental contribution to improving the health service.

Towards NHS single-system working

A new NHS executive group was established in October 2024 to support NHS boards and senior leaders to work more cooperatively regionally and nationally.

Its work will focus on innovation adoption, environmental sustainability and ‘Fair Work First’ values, for the benefit of the workforce, patients and the planet.

Mr Beattie told healthandcare.scot that the group will “set the tone” to enable health boards to continue to work “much more closely and collegiately”.

While he emphasised that health boards already work more collaboratively than in previous years, he said work is ongoing in his team and beyond to improve this – from health service delivery, to embedding innovation to staff and patient outcomes.

He said the NHS Scotland procurement strategy which outlines a vision focused on evolving technologies, sustainable procurement and driving change that benefits patients, communities and staff “embodies that New World Order”, adding:

“Social value, that’s something NHS Scotland is embedding in absolutely everything we do. From sustainable procurement to fair work, enabling our SMEs to tender – we are trying to make ourselves as accessible as possible.

“We recognise every single penny spent from us is an investment in our communities and the multiplier effect that can have on our communities, leading to healthier lives. Improving people’s health, that’s what we’re all about.”

Accelerating innovation

Mr Beattie said the benefits of collaboration are already being seen and will be vital for driving forward reform, from the ‘Scotland Innovates’ portal, to the Centre for Sustainable Delivery and Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway.

He said working with suppliers and teams across the NHS means people with good ideas now have clear places to go to get the support they need for national scaleup:

“We’ve got great ways in to bring your ideas to us – we can triage and bring these into the public sector.

“If you reflect back 20 years, the conversation we were having was: ‘Where’s the landing zone for innovation?’

“We have that in place now. We have these pathways for life sciences, medical technology innovation and so on. I can hear about someone’s great idea or project here today, and point them towards a particular pathway and all these different landing zones.”

Established under the Centre for Sustainable Delivery in 2022, the ANIA pathway looks to support the rollout of proven healthcare innovations across the NHS.

Innovations supported so far by the pathway include a national digital dermatology pathway and diabetes closed loop systems, with extra funds announced last month set to deliver genetic testing and weight management support.

The Scotland Innovates online portal and the network of regional innovation hubs across Scotland also provide ways to test and launch innovative products or services.

Mr Beattie added:

“NHS Scotland is indeed putting procurement at the heart of a sustainable health service to maximise value and benefit for the patient, staff and communities of Scotland.

“For me, it’s all about making sure we’re open, connected and transparent.

“Now, more than ever we need strong and resilient supplier relationships to underpin the work of our health services.”

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