Hear from Michaela Russell, Innovation Lead, NHS Supply Chain on the importance of innovation and how medical technology innovation is being driven through the use of a Dynamic Purchasing System.
Innovation in the NHS isn’t just about cutting-edge technology or revolutionary treatments, it’s about creating access, enabling change, and ensuring that the right solutions reach the people who need them most. As someone who “fell into innovation” after years in NHS procurement, I’ve come to see just how powerful procurement can be as a lever for transformation.
At NHS Supply Chain, I lead a small but dynamic Innovation team which sits at the intersection of procurement and clinical expertise. Together, we support the NHS Innovation Service, acting as a conduit between suppliers, often small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the wider NHS procurement ecosystem.
Our mission is simple: To make innovation accessible.
We realised early on that traditional procurement frameworks weren’t designed to accommodate the pace or nature of innovation. We’ve worked hard as a team to create alternative routes that allow promising innovations to enter the system more flexibly. We’re also collecting data across all clinical specialties to understand where innovation is thriving and where procurement models need to evolve.
Many of the innovations we support don’t yet have a proven financial value. Some are so new that only one or two patients have used them. Yet these are often the products that could make the biggest difference to someone’s parent, child, or grandparent. That’s why we’re working closely with our value-based procurement colleagues to build an evidence base, while also supporting our suppliers, especially SMEs, with education, guidance, and resilience planning.
We’re not just thinking in terms of pounds and pence. We’re thinking in terms of patient outcomes, supplier sustainability, and long-term system value. That means asking different questions: Does this innovation improve care? Does it reduce the need for surgery? Does it support diverse patient needs? And crucially, how do we ensure it’s available without overwhelming the supplier or the system?
Medical Technology Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)
Over the last 12 months we have been working hard to streamline and accelerate access to ground-breaking medical technologies through our updated Medical Technology Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS).
This innovative procurement process ensures that suppliers and NHS organisations can collaborate more effectively to bring disruptive solutions to patients faster than ever before.
So, what makes the DPS different to a framework agreement? Unlike framework agreements, this offers a more agile procurement process:
- Always Open: Suppliers can join at any time during the DPS’s five-year lifetime.
- Simplified Approval: streamlining supplier access to the NHS Supply Chain route to market solutions.
- Innovation First: Focuses on supporting access to cutting-edge medical technologies which address evolving healthcare challenges.
Suppliers with innovative products can apply for an NHS Supply Chain Unique Reference Number (URN) through the NHS England Innovation Service. This allocated URN unlocks access to the tender process via our e-tendering platform, Jaggaer.
This streamlined system reduces the burden on suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), creating opportunities to bring innovations to NHS organisations and patients.
We understand that getting it right matters. That is why since our DPS first launched last year we’ve spent time fine-tuning it based on feedback from suppliers and trusts.
Balancing accessibility, compliance, and ease of use has been our focus, creating a system that’s simple to use and highly effective.
So, what’s new?
The DPS now features:
- Enhanced Accessibility: Expanded categories to cover emerging medical technology areas.
- Support for SMEs: Ensuring smaller businesses can navigate the system with ease.
- Outcome-Driven Processes: Directly addressing patient safety, cost efficiencies, and clinical outcomes by fostering collaboration between suppliers and trusts.
Progress
As of June 2025, we’re delighted to say we now have five innovative products available through our DPS and another two innovative products working through the procurement process, showcasing groundbreaking advancements in medical technology:
Impella: The world’s smallest heart pump, offering temporary hemodynamic support to allow the heart to rest and recover by efficiently delivering blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Quadsense: A precision tool for orthopaedic surgeons to adjust patella implants during Total Knee Arthroplasty, improving outcomes with a focus on quadricep force balance.
Genedrive: The first point-of-care genetic test designed to reduce aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss in neonates, revolutionizing acute neonatal management.
Genedrive: a point-of-care gene amplification device used for qualitative in vitro molecular diagnostic tests. The company states that the test can detect the *2, *3, *4, *8, *17 and *35 alleles.
Sonata: A groundbreaking system combining real-time intrauterine ultrasound guidance with radiofrequency ablation for an incisionless treatment of uterine fibroids, offering a less invasive alternative to hysterectomy and myomectomy.
These innovations exemplify the transformative potential of the DPS, delivering better outcomes for patients and supporting NHS clinicians with state-of-the-art solutions.
What’s Next?
The medical technology DPS reinforces our commitment to making it easier for suppliers and NHS organisations to work together, driving patient-focused innovation across the healthcare system.
Ultimately, innovation in the NHS isn’t just about what’s new, it’s about what’s better, and procurement, when done right, can be the bridge that gets us there.
We will be updating regularly on our website (www.supplychain.nhs.uk) about the progress and positive changes our Medical Technology DPS is bringing to NHS trusts nationwide.
If you’re a supplier or customer ready to explore the benefits of the DPS you can find out how by visiting our dedicated page.
