NHS Blood and Transplant: shaping the future of planning and supply chain solutions

In a recent market engagement roundtable hosted by techUK, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) shared its vision for a new Planning and Supply Chain Solution (PSCS) to strengthen resilience, improve operational efficiency, and ensure continuity of critical services. The session explored NHSBT’s objectives, procurement approach, and opportunities for industry collaboration ahead of a future tender.

About NHS Blood and Transplant

NHSBT plays a vital role in delivering blood, organ, and tissue services across England, supporting lifesaving treatments and transplants. Its supply chain operations are complex and mission-critical, requiring robust planning and forecasting to meet demand while maintaining safety and compliance.

Context and drivers for change

NHSBT faces significant operational challenges that highlight the need for transformation:

Demand volatility: Fluctuations in blood and transplant requirements driven by seasonal trends and emergency events.
Supply chain complexity: Multiple product lines, storage constraints, and time-sensitive logistics.
Legacy systems: Current planning tools lack flexibility, scalability, and integration capabilities.
Cost pressures: Rising operational costs require efficiency without compromising quality or safety.
Regulatory compliance: Ensuring traceability and adherence to stringent standards.

These challenges underscore the need for a modern, integrated solution that supports end-to-end planning and supply chain management.

Strategic objectives for the PSCS

The new solution aims to:

Improve forecasting and planning accuracy to match supply with demand.
Enable real-time visibility across inventory, logistics, and production.
Support scenario modelling for resilience and risk management.
Deliver cost efficiency through automation and streamlined processes.
Ensure compliance and traceability across all operations.

Discussion themes from the roundtable

Participants explored several key topics:

Challenges around requirements: Balancing flexibility with regulatory compliance and operational complexity.
Opportunities for consortium bids: Leveraging specialist expertise through collaborative delivery models.
Breaking procurement into multiple lots: Allowing modular implementation to encourage innovation and reduce risk.
Cost of delivery and implementation: Ensuring affordability while maintaining high standards of security and performance.

Technology foundations

NHSBT is seeking solutions that are:

Cloud-first and scalable to support future growth.
Interoperable with existing NHS systems and standards.
Secure and resilient with robust cyber protections.
Data-driven to enable predictive analytics and evidence-based decision-making.

Procurement approach and next steps

NHSBT is considering flexible procurement models, including consortium bids and multi-lot structures. Following this roundtable, NHSBT will offer one-to-one meetings with suppliers to explore ideas in more detail. A formal tender process will follow, informed by feedback gathered during this engagement.

Supplier ask

Solutions should be:

Safe, secure, and compliant with NHS standards.
Cloud-first and interoperable.
Cost-effective and scalable.
Designed to deliver measurable improvements in resilience and efficiency.

Next steps

Following the roundtable, NHSBT will offer one-to-one meetings with suppliers to explore ideas in more detail. A formal tender process will follow, informed by feedback gathered during this engagement.

For more information or to get involved, contact [email protected].

Rachel Kennedy

Programme Manager Health and Social Care, techUK

Rachel joined techUK in December 2024, as a Programme Manager in the Health and Social Care team.

Prior to this, Rachel worked at a specialist health and social care public affairs agency, working with a range of organisations and trade bodies across the medical technology, pharmaceutical, digital health and social care sectors. As well as this, Rachel was part of the Secretariat for a number of health and care related All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

Rachel has a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Leeds, as well as a first-class honours in Politics BA from Newcastle University.

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Health and Social Care Programme activities

techUK is helping its members navigate the complex space of digital health in the UK to ensure our NHS and social care sector is prepared for the challenges of the future. We help validate new ideas and build impactful strategies, ultimately ensuring that members are market-ready. Visit the programme page here.