Non-clinical work
Bringing the back office home Supporting NHS organisations on the frontline of the battle against Covid-19 has become more important than ever, says NHS SBS With almost two thirds of the NHS dependent on NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) to pay their employees, manage their finance and IT systems, or help them purchase goods and services, supporting NHS organisations on the frontline of the battle against Covid19 has become more important than ever. Providing the essential non-clinical services that keep the NHS moving - whilst also enabling home-working for almost every UK employee - is an entirely unique challenge. The country has undoubtedly been reminded of just how important the NHS is. As doctors, nurses and other clinicians work tirelessly to provide world-class patient care, an army of NHS employees has also been working behind-the-scenes to support them. Accountants, payroll clerks, procurement specialists and IT support staff. These are just some of the professionals working hard to keep the wheels turning for NHS providers and commissioners up and down the country. And the 1,500 employees at NHS SBS are no exception. While transitioning almost 100 per cent of its UK workforce to home-working within less than two weeks, NHS SBS has continued to process weekly and monthly
payrolls for almost 400,000 NHS employees Working for successful change at 90 different NHS organisations, with By facilitating a major change to NHS minimal interruption to its usual service. funding meanwhile, the team at NHS This included thousands of new and SBS has helped NHS England and NHS returning members of NHS staff from Improvement move a massive £20 billion retirement. In just one week, the NHS SBS around the NHS to where it is needed. team facilitated £1 million of urgent salary In the East of England, NHS SBS experts payments to these additional NHS workers. have worked with two NHS trusts to Working from home, NHS SBS teams, increase their remote working capability, up in one week alone in April, sent out from an average of 400 employees a day 25,000 purchase orders to NHS suppliers, to 1,500 NHS workers supported to work ensuring goods and services continue at home - with this number expected to to be delivered to the NHS rise again in the coming weeks. organisations that need them. And, after beginning the roll In the same time, almost out of The Edge4Health 88,000 invoices have -a new cloud-based, More been paid, including consumer-style than ev e £642 million reaching marketplace where r i t i ’s m possible organisations that NHS organisations not to be insp are helping the NHS can buy goods and i r work o ed by the to provide services, services - earlier this f NHS s and £250 million has year, NHS SBS has t a hospita been collected and made the platform ls up anff in receipted on behalf immediately d down t h of NHS organisations, available to around country e helping cash flow to 60 additional NHS enable the purchase organisations. of valuable equipment It means that despite and additional staffing. not being able to transact E Issue 20.2 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE
53
