Annual statement of accounts
Each year the Trust publishes an Annual Report which includes Summary Financial Statements. These are summaries of the primary accounting statements together with some of the notes to the accounts. The Annual Report also includes a Remuneration Report which gives details of senior managers’ remuneration.
Since the Trust was only established on 1 July 2011, the first annual report will be for 2011/12 and will be produced in the summer of 2012. Whilst they have not yet been produced, as soon as they are available, they will be published on the Trust website.
Budgets and variance reports
The financial performance of the Trust, including the difference between planned and actual expenditure and income, is reported to the Trust Board on a regular basis and can be found within our Board Papers section.
Financial audit reports
The Trust’s Audit Committee approves a series of internal audits prior to the start of each financial year. Internal Audit provide an annual opinion to the Trust Board, through the Audit Committee, on the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust’s risk management, control and governance processes. The Committee has agreed the financial audits planned for 2011/12 and a copy of the internal audit plan can be obtained from the Director of Strategy and Governance.
Standing Financial Instructions
Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) identify financial responsibilities and the policies and procedures adopted by the Trust. The SFIs are available on the Trust’s website under the "Finance -> Standing Orders" section on our Staff Policies page.
Capital programme
Information about the Trust’s Capital Programme and information regarding any major plans for capital expenditure can be found within the Board Papers which are published on the Trust’s website.
Staff and Board members' allowances and expenses
Information regarding expenses may be found in our Staff and Board members' allowances and expenses Excel document.
Staff pay and grading structures
The Trust employs the latest payment conditions for NHS staff, covered by the Agenda for Change agreement. For more information, please see the following links:
Procurement and tendering procedures
Regulations
All Public Sector organisations have to abide by The Public Procurement Regulations 2006 which is the law that relates to Procurement and is common to all European member states following the European Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC. These rules state the value that tenders must be advertised in Europe, the processes that are appropriate and the mandatory timescales.
Procurement in NHS Trusts is also governed by the individual Trust Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions, which dictate the value at which a quotation or tender process is required. All of these rules ensure that competition is fair and open, there is clear visibility of all processes to award contracts and that there is a competitive process followed to ensure value for money.
Tenders completed appropriately by other organisations via OJEU may be able to be used by other individual organisations and this reduces the number of separate tenders required by each public sector organisation. The original tender will award to a chosen supplier/s for a specified requirement and these suppliers only can then be used without the requirement for a separate full tender by individual public bodies.
Contracting arrangements
Trusts require a significant range of products and services and as such a variety of contract arrangements are in place:
- National framework agreements can be produced by government agencies such as the Office of Government and Commerce (OGC) which are available for all government organisations to useor NHS Supply Chain who produce framework agreements or contracts that all NHS Trusts can use. Framework agreements previously with NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) have been transferred to Buying Solutions.
- National or regional framework agreements or contracts can be produced by individual or collaborative groups of public sector organisations. These can be limited to public sector organisations in a particular geographical location, specify one or more public sector, or be solely for named organisations.
- Local framework agreements or contracts can be produced by Procurement departments in each Trust or consortium for local use only. Gloucestershire NHS Procurement Shared Service provides this contracting service for the three NHS Trusts and arrangements can be made for a single Trust or for multiple Trusts.
- Occasionally ad-hoc requirements arise which require individual orders only.
How to Sell to the NHS in Shropshire
A Trust, via Procurement, is obliged to advertise all tenders that are at the specified level for European tendering in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), which can be accessed via the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) website. Lower level tenders may be advertised via OJEU or in alternative sites or publications.
Tendering Process
Procurement tenders follow the following basic process, although variations due to the different procedures can apply:
- Advertisement or Contract Notice (OJEU term): this is when the requirement is advertised to all potential providers, and can be advertised through a variety of media.
- Expression of Interest: suppliers should express an interest in bidding for the goods, services or works as advertised. This should be in accordance with the request made and any requested documents should be completed
- Selection: a process usually takes place to make a selection of the organisations from the expressions of interest received to take forward into the tender stage.
- Invitation to Tender: the tender documentation is issued to the selected organisations. The tenders must be returned in the specified manner and within the timescales requested.
- Evaluation: an evaluation takes place of the offers made by each potential provider and this can include presentations, trials or reference site visits as well as the offer documents themselves.
- Award: a preferred bidder is chosen and all bidders are advised of the status of their bid. Debriefing can take place where requested. Contracts are subsequently completed and implementation actions are commenced.
Example Conditions of Contract
Contracts with the NHS will use NHS Conditions of Contract; there are various Conditions but the following is shown as an example.
Details of contracts currently being tendered and list and value of contracts awarded
On 1 April 2010 HPC Shropshire was replaced with Shropshire Healthcare Procurement Service. This is a shared service providing a procurement service to:
- Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH)
- Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH)
- Shropshire County Primary Care Trust (SCPCT)
- NHS Telford and Wrekin (TWPCT)
- South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (SSSFT)
Details of all contracts and other information on procurement will be made available at www.sath.nhs.uk/procurement. Please see our FOI - Lists and Registers page for additional information.
Publication of Spend
To find out more about how we spend your money, please see our detailed Publication of Spend page.