The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub recently spoke with Beth Loudon, Director of Market Access at the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association (BIVDA). The conversation followed her session at the East of England Clinical Procurement Forum, where she shared reflections on the 10 Year Health Plan for England, the growing pressures faced by the system and the opportunities for stronger collaboration.
This article draws on that discussion to explore how national strategy, procurement practice and industry engagement need to align to support meaningful change.
Understanding the 10 Year Plan through a practical lens
Beth began by noting that although the 10 Year Plan sets out high-level ambition, it is not a detailed delivery plan. The operational planning guidance published since July is carrying much of the practical weight. This means organisations need to understand how those expectations are landing locally, who is leading the thinking and how ambitions are being interpreted across systems.
She emphasised that procurement professionals can help colleagues recognise the scale of the change required. Many of the commitments in the plan call for significant shifts in service models, clinical pathways and commissioning expectations. She encouraged attendees to act as champions for change and to connect with others in their organisations who are already working towards these aims.
Pressures shaping the national landscape
During our interview, Beth highlighted the widening gap between national ambition and the pressures felt on the ground. She noted considerable variation across regions, particularly in progress towards the left shift from hospitals to community settings. Some areas are advancing rapidly, while others are struggling to move at pace.
She also reflected on the ongoing impact of system change. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are managing budget reductions, leading to workforce changes and loss of capacity. In diagnostics, financial pressures are often viewed through a narrow category-based lens, which can lead to missed opportunities to recognise pathwaywide benefits. These pressures, she explained, distract from the longer-term transformation work needed to deliver on 10 Year Plan goals.
Particularly in clinical procurement, when we talk about collaboration and procurement, so often the procurement goal has been savings, often through a misguided assumption that collaboration equals savings. It can do, but there are much wider opportunities through collaborations.
The case for more joined up conversations
Beth was clear that better alignment between different parts of the system is essential. One priority is how the NHS engages with industry. With economic growth positioned as a deliverable of national procurement policy, she argued that conversations with suppliers cannot continue to happen in isolation across multiple organisations. The system needs a coherent approach that reflects genuine partnership.
Beyond engagement, she pointed to the importance of clarity. Collaboration has often been associated with savings, but cost reduction is only one potential outcome. She identified several examples where simple steps – such as consistent language, aligned policy, or shared processes – have already helped organisations act with greater unity.
Examples of collaboration that can guide regional practice
Beth noted encouraging signs of improved alignment among NHS Supply Chain, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care. Their work on a cross‑cutting commercial strategy is helping reduce confusion and set a clearer national direction.
For clinical procurement professionals, she highlighted the value of collaborations that bring clarity to the system, not only savings. Standardising terminology or processes may appear simple, but these steps help different organisations understand each other’s expectations and work more effectively as a single system.
She also drew attention to the increasing volume of industry engagement. While this is positive, she believes engagement will be most effective when focused and aligned across organisations, rather than dispersed and inconsistent.
Practical changes that could accelerate progress
When asked what practical change she would like to see following the Clinical Procurement Forum, Beth offered two priorities.
The first is national commercial leadership by category. She described this as a missing piece in the current system. National leadership does not mean centrally mandated decisions, but a source of best practice and support for regions and providers. This would help local teams understand market conditions, navigate complexity and make aligned decisions.
The second is greater clarity on what partnership with industry means in practice. Partnership is referenced in the 10 Year Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan, yet there is no shared definition. Procurement regulations, contract structures and bandwidth constraints all influence what true partnership can look like. Without dedicated resource and clearer expectations, organisations struggle to move beyond traditional supplier relationships.
Working more closely with regional partners
Beth stressed that regional partners, including the Hub and the Clinical Procurement Forum, can accelerate progress on several national initiatives. These include procurement pathway development, value-based procurement and innovation routes such as passports. National ambitions require practical testing and regional partners are well placed to provide insight on realworld implementation.
She encouraged colleagues to connect more directly with pilots already underway, including value-based procurement trials. This involvement helps ensure national initiatives reflect the realities of clinical pathways, workforce pressures and local priorities.
The reality is, as we know, that a lot of the time the intent to adopt innovation is absolutely there. It’s the bandwidth and the time that it takes to actually adopt innovation, which is often lacking for so many.
The role of forums in shaping national conversations
Beth emphasised that forums like the Clinical Procurement Forum are essential. National bodies developing new frameworks, metrics or procurement approaches need to understand how these will work on the ground. Without clinical governance and operational insight, national policy risks becoming disconnected from practical delivery.
She highlighted value-based procurement as an area where Forum members can make a strong contribution. Professionals in this space can help shape domains, measures and metrics that reflect real value for patients, clinicians and systems.
She also noted the importance of influencing organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as they review processes to support 10 Year Plan delivery. Clinical procurement teams have insight that is not always represented in national conversations and forums provide a way to bring those voices forward.
Themes that must stay alive
Reflecting on the Forum discussions, Beth identified two themes that the system must keep alive.
The first is the strategic role of clinical procurement specialists. These teams understand both clinical and commercial drivers and are well positioned to guide decision-making. However, immediate savings pressures often dominate their workload, leaving little time for strategic work.
The second is innovation adoption. Although the intent to adopt innovation is strong, capacity is limited. Time, resource and bandwidth are consistent barriers. Without addressing these constraints, ambitions for digital transformation and diagnostics improvement will remain difficult to realise.
Looking ahead
Beth’s insights underline the value of clear leadership, aligned priorities and meaningful collaboration. They also reinforce the importance of creating space for strategic thinking, particularly when short-term pressures dominate organisational focus.
The Hub will continue to convene partners through the East of England Clinical Procurement Forum to support these conversations. Working together at regional and national levels will be essential to shaping practical, sustainable solutions for the NHS in the years ahead.