The NHS is one of the biggest commercial organisations in the country, buying on behalf of the fifth biggest employer in the world.

Staff and patients rely on NHS commercial teams to buy the goods and services they need, making sure vital supplies are delivered to the NHS without disruption, so that frontline staff can focus on providing world-class patient care.  The procurement process encourages competition and market innovation to improve health outcomes.

NHS commercial and procurement teams also deliver efficiency savings to ensure the NHS uses its resources effectively and to maximise value for money for taxpayers.

The scale of NHS commercial activity is significant, with around 4,000 commercial, procurement and supply management professionals spending £30 billion across approximately 80,000 suppliers, including medical goods and services, office supplies, cleaning, catering and transport services.

• Central Commercial Function (CCF)
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