Procurement
criteria must shift beyond product features to articulate the desired outcomes that will realise the vision of success. The question shifts from “what products are we buying?” to “what solutions will help us meet our objectives?”
Fostering strategic partnership and shared resources The final necessary shift is cultural, moving from transactional relationships to strategic, solution- based partnerships. l From supplier to partner: Suppliers must be viewed as an extension of the NHS team, integral to achieving healthcare objectives. The challenges facing the NHS are too great for any single party to solve alone. By pooling combined experience and knowledge, the NHS and its partners can address system pressures in a way neither could independently.
l Leverage shared resources: No single organisation has all the answers. The NHS can accelerate VBP adoption by leveraging tools, expertise, and resources across boundaries. Industry trade associations are working with the DHSC to develop common value metrics and standardised frameworks 5,18
.
The DHSC’s national VBP methodology provides the framework. What is needed now is local commitment to collaborate. Bringing together procurement, clinical, finance, patients, and supplier teams to co-define value, share evidence, and build robust business cases that deliver measurable outcomes.
The momentum of value VBP is not a new concept, but its moment has arrived. It is a practical route to achieving
the NHS’s strategic ambitions, better patient outcomes, integrated care, and financial sustainability.4 The increasing pressures facing the system,
across finance, operations, and workforce, demand a fundamental shift in how value is defined and procured. VBP cannot remain an aspiration. It requires
deliberate action: l Defining outcomes upfront. l Building robust measurement infrastructure and establishing clear baselines.
l Reforming financial incentives and contracting mechanisms.
l Moving procurement culture from transactional to strategic partnership.
Doing more innovation enables more innovation. When we successfully prove value and release NHS resources through better outcomes and efficiency, those resources fund the next wave of change. The DHSC’s national VBP framework provides a strong foundation, with national rollout planned for 2026.5 No single organisation can tackle these
challenges alone. Trusts that commit to genuine collaboration, pooling expertise, sharing risk, and embedding VBP principles early using practical tools like the following checklist, will be best positioned to drive continuous improvement and deliver the outcomes that matter most to patients and staff. The question is not whether to embrace VBP, but how quickly the system can build the momentum to make it work.
VBP project checklist – before you begin Before embarking on a VBP initiative, organisations should ensure they have built the necessary foundations for success. If the answer to any question is “no,” the priority should be addressing that gap before proceeding.
Defining the vision and outcomes l Have we clearly defined the problem we are trying to solve?
l Do we have multi-stakeholder agreements on what “value” means in this specific context (including intangible benefits)?
l Are our success criteria defined, measurable, and reflective of what matters to our patient, staff, and the system?
42
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I June 2026
Tyler Olson -
stock.adobe.com
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