The NHS is using an online-based service to streamline and improve efficiency of processes related to its procurement services.

The online market place platform NHS eTrade is based on the NHS’s existing system Zanzibar. It expects to reduce the cost of goods and services via simplified access to suppliers, as well as pre-loaded collaborative public sector contracts and electronic invoicing tools.

The NHS also hopes to benefit from tools aimed at buying complex services such as purchased healthcare from a wide range of suppliers. And cost savings are expected to stem from functionality such as the accurate tracking of spend.

“I view NHS eTrade as being the total collaborative solution for the NHS through having significant back-end integration for NHS trusts and suppliers both large and small,” said Mansel Chamberlain, advisor to the NHS and former procurement director with NW London Procurement Confederation.

“This is particularly significant to trusts that all have a significant ‘tail’ of suppliers who account for significant transaction volumes,” he said.

The service is provided by supplier ProcServe.