Enabling informed clinical choice: an NHS Supply Chain initiative

Clinical engagement is a fundamental component in the selection of appropriate devices that are of high quality, safe and fit for purpose. During the global pandemic, the significance of vascular access and intravenous (IV) therapy was magnified. It is therefore vital now, more than ever, for IV and vascular access practitioners to get involved with the work on evaluating the suitability of different devices available to the NHS.

Part of the reason for showcasing the Information for Clinical Choice (ICC) initiative at this year's NIVAS conference was to help further bridge the gap between the clinical and the procurement worlds. ICC provides clinicians with information about the features of similar products available through NHS Supply Chain.

Clinicians’ involvement in procurement came to the forefront in 2016 when the Department of Health and Social Care commissioned senior NHS clinicians to form the Clinical Evaluation Team (CET). The outputs of the CET, which operated between 2016 and 2018, included the publication of 37 reviews, many of which evaluated IV-related products, providing independent, high-quality and unbiased clinical comparisons of devices.