Health of a Nation
Professor Christine Harland, Director of the Centre for Research in Strategic Purchasing and Supply (CRiSPS) at the University of Bath School of Management, provided the cover story on public procurement within the NHS in a recent edition of hes - the healthcare equipment & supplies magazine.
Public sector expenditure is said to represent 40% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP). As one of the founders of CRiSPS, the largest research centre in strategic purchasing and supply in Europe, Prof Harland believes that this is a powerful tool that should be used to drive economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Prof Harland argues that the challenge in complex supply networks like the NHS is how to get the large number of different players to think together to innovate:
“The supply market is large, diverse and fragmented. How do you engage with the large number of SMEs in this sector on innovation, for example?”
“If you have a bright idea in a university laboratory, how do you get it out and embedded in practice? The government has recognised the importance of knowledge transfer. But it’s very difficult when, for example, you have a good idea on tissue engineering to then engage down and across the supply chain with clinicians who are already dealing with existing suppliers.”
Although Prof Harland acknowledges that there are areas that need to be improved, procurement in the NHS has come a long way in the last ten years and is now highly developed internationally.
“It’s not just about shopping around for the best deal. It’s about investing in the development of new products and services that are locally produced and environmentally robust. It’s about encouraging innovation and the development of small businesses.”
The full article can be accessed from the hes website.
Notes to Editors
Established as the largest research centre in strategic purchasing and supply in Europe, CRiSPS has a track record of delivering both blue sky thinking and leading edge applied research on both contemporary and future aspects of supply management, with research expertise focused on strategic outsourcing, strategic relationship management and sustainable procurement.
20 October 2005
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General Notes For Editors:
The School of Management has consistently achieved both top research and teaching ratings in the UK's Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) assessments. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), it was ranked in the 5A category. The School is ranked in the top UK business schools by The Times and The Guardian.
As a research-led institution, the centrality of research to teaching is an essential feature of all our programmes. The School offers a full range of courses from undergraduate to postgraduate up to PhD level and post-experience programmes including the world-ranked Bath MBA. The School also provides tailored executive development programmes for middle and senior management.
The School of Management has a faculty of 90 teaching and research staff, including visiting academics, with a support team of around 50 managerial and administrative staff. Research income has averaged £2 million per annum. There are approximately 1,450 students in total on certificated programmes, comprising some 350 MBA students, 150 taught Master’s students, 130 full- and part-time research students, 80 Postgraduate Certificate students and around 740 undergraduates following BSc degrees. The School also runs joint undergraduate programmes with Departments in the Faculties of Engineering and Design, and Science.
