The procurement team at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has received national recognition after being shortlisted for the prestigious GO Awards in the category of ‘Collaborative Procurement Initiative – Central Government, NHS & Healthcare’. 

Organised by BiP Solutions, the GO Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in procurement across the public, private and third sectors. NELFT’s nomination recognises a pioneering project delivered in partnership with North East London (NEL) North Central London (NCL) Integrated Care Systems (ICS), which tackled rising costs and fragmentation in continence product procurement. 

Led by NELFT, and supported by NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC), the initiative brought together 12 NHS Trusts across both ICSs to maximise buying power, standardise product quality, and improve patient outcomes.  

Key outcomes included: 

• Generating savings across both ICSs
• Reduced environmental impact through the introduction of reusable products
• Elimination of postcode variation in patient care
• Tangible benefits in skin health thanks to better product fit
• A platform for clinical knowledge-sharing and service improvement.
• The project placed particular emphasis on collaboration, involving clinical teams, infection control specialists and patient representatives throughout. 

Mark Lister, Head of Procurement, said: 

"We are immensely proud of the NELFT procurement team for their outstanding contribution to this system-wide initiative. Collaborating across two Integrated Care Boards to deliver substantial savings for the NHS is a remarkable accomplishment. This success was made possible through the dedication and support of all the Trusts involved, whose collective efforts were instrumental in achieving these results."