Hunt for firms to work in health sector

The West and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Commissioning Support Unit (CSU) is a commercially formed public sector organisation. It was set up to help businesses with the process of procuring NHS contracts and to provide support for the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

It serves 15 CCGs in the region and has a contract with NHS England, formerly the NHS Commissioning Board.

With more than 600 staff across the region, the CSU provides business support services, ranging from human resources, IT and finance support to business intelligence, clinical service redesign and communications and engagement.

Alison Hughes, managing director, told the Yorkshire Post that the new CSU can help the NHS “work at scale... and be more efficient and cost less in terms of delivery”.

She said: “The CSU has an opportunity to source capability as part of its supply chain, from private and third sector organisations.”

The CSU will provide some in-house work for the CCGs but Mrs Hughes said that it will also be outsourcing. “We recognise that we can do some of this ourselves, but to get the very best for our customers we need a vibrant supply chain,” she added.

Ms Hughes explained: “It’s an emerging market... part of the role of the CSU is to connect with businesses and explain what the opportunities are.”

She said she wants to source services from Yorkshire companies and will try to support the local health economy, adding that proper procurement processes will always be upheld.

The organisation is looking for a range of companies to work with but have a specific focus on IT as Mrs Hughes believes digital technology is the future of healthcare.

Although the CSU is part of the NHS, the CCGs do not have to use its services and can procure a company directly. However, she said the “vast majority” do use the 19 CSUs that have been developed nationally. The CSU has worked with KPMG, Ernst & Young, Newcastle-based Global Black Swan and Ipswich-based Aramar.

Over the past six months it has been focusing on developing its own internal capabilities and now it is starting to create a database of companies. The CCGs and CSUs came into effect on April 1, replacing Primary Care Trusts, as part of the NHS reforms.

There are 211 CCGs across the country. The reforms mean that GPs now have more influence on how NHS money is spent. However, there has already been criticism as some contracts have been awarded to companies owned by the doctors making the decisions.

Mrs Hughes said: “The way that it will be dealt with is they won’t be part of the procurement process in the future. Part of our role is to help them with those procurement processes to make sure they’re right and proper.”

There has been no reports of this happening in Yorkshire. However, she flagged up one issue with a contract that is due to expire.

Mrs Hughes said: “We have given advice to the CCG that they need to go through the process rather than just award it to the GP again.”