Publication: Improving the management of supplies in the NHS in Scotland

Supplies cover a wide range of goods such as uniforms, surgical gloves and infusion devices, and services as diverse as catering and radiography. They are the largest area of NHS expenditure after staff pay, with the NHS in Scotland spending an estimated £600 million each year on these goods and services. According to this report, the management of supplies in the NHS in Scotland remains fragmented and fails to demonstrate good value for money.

A key finding of the report is that managers need to be able to identify their baseline performance position and to monitor progress over time. To do this they require better management information and use it to measure and benchmark the management of supplies. An appendix to the main report presents proposals for the first phase of a performance measurement framework.