Our Vision

Our Dorset

One Dorset Procurement Service

The One Dorset Procurement Service (ODPS) is a collaborative procurement initiative across the three partner NHS Trusts in Dorset (Dorset County Hospital NHSFT, Dorset HealthCare University NHSFT and University Hospitals Dorset NHSFT).

Following agreement between the Chief Finance Officers and the Heads of Procurement from the three Partner Trusts, agreement has been reached to work towards the development of a new Procurement Target Operating Model for the ICS – a single shared procurement function (to be hosted by one trust but accountable to all three), with ambition to transition the function in to a planned subsidiary company (subco) moving forward.  Such an arrangement presents the opportunity to build on the existing strong foundations within the three partner Trust Procurement teams in order to create an NHS Dorset Procurement Shared Service that will generate substantial incremental savings on third-party expenditure and deliver significant service improvements for Dorset ICS stakeholders including clinicians, suppliers and patients.

The scope of the proposed Dorset Procurement Service will encompass all strategic and operational procurement activity across the three partner Trusts, plus all supply chain (inventory management and logistics) services. It will bring together all current Procurement and Supply Chain staff from the partner Trusts into a single integrated structure under a Procurement Director. This model will comprise Strategic Procurement teams, one for Clinical spend and one for non-clinical spend, applying Category Management best practices to optimise spend and supply arrangements, aggregating spend and harmonising requirements across the ICS to deliver incremental value. Furthermore Operational Buying Teams and Inventory and Logistics teams will be brought together into a single ICS Supply Chain management structure within the service. This will enable greater standardisation of processes, increased service resilience and sharing of best practices to deliver operational efficiencies.

The One Dorset Procurement Service aims to:

  • Align procurement with strategic council goals, ensuring it contributes to making Dorset a great place to live, work, and visit.
  • Maximise the “Dorset Pound” by prioritising local suppliers and retaining economic value within the county.
  • Embed social value and sustainability into procurement decisions, supporting community wellbeing and addressing the climate and ecological emergency.
  • Promote partnership working across public, private, and voluntary sectors to enhance service delivery.
  • Develop people and skills, ensuring the procurement workforce is capable, knowledgeable, and future-ready.
  • Drive innovation and efficiency through strategic sourcing, robust contract management, and responsible commissioning.

Transformation to the new target operating model will increase capacity and capability in procurement through an integrated structure for the ICS with standardised modern processes and a greater focus on strategic planning through category management, as well as the deployment of a Contract Management and Supplier Relationship Management team to drive value and performance. 

The key forecast outcomes from this approach can be broadly categorised on to four key areas and are summarised below.

Financial

£18 – £49m

Estimated net financial impact over 5 years

Additional staff efficiencies through optimised process

For Procurement Staff

Better career progression and increased training

Better opportunities for fulfilling job roles – reduced admin

For Stakeholders

Supported by a more capable and expert function

Clearer, easier and quicker purchasing processes

For Patients

Increased health equality across Dorset

Value for money enables better funded healthcare services