Standardised clinical solutions deliver more than mere cost savings

I was asked to review the medical supplies of a care home group with over 30 homes. Each home had autonomy regarding the purchase of products and group management were keen to continue this arrangement to ensure clinical needs were at the forefront of decision-making and that standards of care were not compromised in order to make savings.

During the project it became apparent however that there were a number of issues which if addressed, could yield even greater savings than a traditional ‘like for like’ quotation process.

There were over 25 suppliers across the group all of which were providing a different mix of the same products. It was important to consolidate this number where possible, to deliver gains in reduced admin time, discounts on volumes purchased, improved streamlining of supply chain and improved contract compliance.

In addition, there was no standardised approach to the purchase of products resulting in different clinical solutions to the same problem across some of the homes. With the clients permission I was allowed to undertake a partial standardisation and rationalisation approach to the project. Standardisation has a number of benefits in relation to maximising savings and improving clinical outcomes:

• Reduced clinical risks – reduction in product variation reduces some of the risks associated with medical products and their use.  Clinical guidelines can be more easily implemented to enhance patient safety because fewer clinical errors are made when staff become familiar with when and how to use each item in a given product range.
• Realisation of ‘added value’ – many suppliers will provide additional services free of charge such as in-house training, teaching aids and usage guides in addition to their usual after-sales services when an organisation standardises to their product.
• Uniform standards of care throughout the group – management are able to decide where their organisation should position itself in terms of standards of care and select a clinical product range which delivers a consistent level of care for their patients wherever they are cared for.

By taking this approach I ensured that the quotations from suppliers offered the ideal of being both a like for like and a standardised solution. This was possible using clinical knowledge gained through a 20 year career in the NHS enabling me to fully appreciate the client’s needs and choose  standard options that met them following a full market review. The result was that in all cases a saving was attainable and the recommendations were then assessed with a view to enhanced clinical outcomes as well as price.

Since implementation of this project I have provided further assistance by auditing buying patterns on a per-home basis ensuring any slippage is identified and that the standardised approach continues to meet patients’ needs.