“During 2006 The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust as part of a Turnaround project undertook a review of all expenditure across the Trust. One of the high spend areas was obviously Theatre and I looked at opportunities to reduce expenditure whilst trying to maintain or improve quality together with issues such as patient and staff safety. Drapes and Gowns was an area that I felt had opportunities that could deliver benefits to both our financial situation and my colleagues.
I reviewed the framework arrangement set up by NHS PASA and it appeared that Full Support Healthcare were able to offer products similar to our existing requirements but with savings. I met with the Chief Executive of the company an agreed that a full and detailed trial should be undertaken and its results submitted to our PAG (Product Assessment Group) for review. Full Support Healthcare Ltd provided all products for the trial, produced all evaluation sheets together with a final report which was then evaluated and verified by the PAG, with the approval given the change our product requirement to Full Support Healthcare.
Our HSDU department was, and continue to be, impressed with the delivery and support supplied by the company and any problems are rectified within hours rather than days. We did have, once the products were introduced into the Trust, objections and concerns raised by some Surgeons and Theatre staff but people on the whole do not like change. I spent a great deal of time working with these people allaying fears and we have now established these products into the Trust and the substantial savings originally identified have been, and continue to be realized. We undertake regular reviews and have good product and company representative support.
The Trust is confident that based on our previous spend and with little or no change in activity or protocols savings averaging 30% have been achieved.
The drive of the Chief Executive and her team allowed us to the deliver this project and we would recommend that other organizations who feel they might benefit should undertake a similar exercise”.
