Leading corporate services provider, NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), has announced its Procurement Solutions Team has been named the winner of this year’s Health Care Supply Association’s (HCSA) ‘Procurement Team of the Year’ award.
The HCSA annual awards recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals and teams driving improvement, efficiency and value across the NHS, particularly in healthcare procurement and the supply chain in the UK.
The award was presented to NHS SBS in recognition of its dedication, teamwork and commitment to delivering Framework Agreements (FWAs) that ensure the NHS and wider public sector receive only the best products and services.
NHS SBS’s 82-strong Procurement Solutions team manages a portfolio of over 40 FWAs with a combined multi-billion-pound value, and is responsible for commissioning, procurement and ongoing management, to ensure customers benefit from high-quality, cost-effective solutions.
Developed by the organisation’s category experts and used by NHS trusts and wider public sector across the UK, the FWAs span four key categories – Construction & Estates, Health, Digital & IT and Business Services.
The portfolio comprising award-winning FWAs is continually enhanced with innovative solutions including surgical robots, estate decarbonisation, offsite construction and AI stroke‑decision software, and strengthened through close collaboration with external partners to deliver maximum impact.
A unique collaboration with Barts Health NHS Trust for instance, resulted in the creation of NHS SBS’s Sustainable Healthcare Recycling and Waste Management FWA which delivered £1.2m in savings for the trust, increased recycling rates from 11% to 30% in just 10 weeks, increased carbon reduction by over 500 tonnes and had an annual social value impact of £3.1m.
“The judging panel recognised the Procurement team for its strategic focus, service excellence, delivery of financial benefits, adoption and sharing of best practice, collaboration with other organisations and commitment to the development of our team members,” says Paddy Howlin, Head of Procurement Solutions at NHS SBS. “These are all key factors in what makes NHS SBS standout in a competitive and ever challenging landscape.”
Capital Projects ‘Highly Commended’
NHS SBS Capital Projects Manager, Chris Parkin, was named runner‑up and ‘highly commended’ in HCSA’s prestigious ‘Unsung Hero’ award.
This honour celebrates individuals who consistently make substantive contributions, often going above and beyond their role.
The commendation recognised his dedication as the quiet, yet brilliant driving force behind some of the NHS’s most complex hospital capital projects, like equipping the new £68m Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital which has five emergency theatres, including the UK’s first hybrid trauma theatre.
Originally estimated at £13m, Chris used his expertise to reduce this to £10.2m, delivering end-to-end service from business case to handover, sourcing and installing over 3,800 items – from patient furniture to highly specialised theatre equipment. All delivered and installed on time, to budget and fit.
Howlin concludes: “We are immensely proud of our procurement team and its achievements. Being recipients of both the team award and attaining the ‘highly commended’ status underscores the dedication and meaningful difference each member makes every day.
“We remain committed to supporting the NHS and wider public sector with solutions that drive efficiency, deliver value, and improve patient outcomes.”
