Published on: 31 May 2023

As you may be aware South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s, Estates and Facilities team, will be transferring to CHoICE Ltd on 1st July 2023. From this date, CHoICE Ltd will provide a Managed Healthcare Facility to all wards and departments based at the following four sites:

  • South Tyneside District Hospital
  • Palmers Community Hospital
  • St Benedict’s Hospice
  • Clarendon.

As part of the Managed Healthcare Facility, CHoICE Ltd will become responsible for the purchase of consumable products for the wards and departments across the four sites. This is the same procurement practice that is currently in place for the Sunderland Royal Hospital site, Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Childrens Centre and Durham Treatment Centre.

Your Assistance is Required! – Action to be taken!

There are substantial amendments and updates needed to the Oracle purchasing systems in preparation for the transfer on 1st July 2023 and as a consequence we require your help and assistance.

Due to the nature of, and to enable our Systems team to make the necessary updates, if you currently conduct end user requisitioning on Oracle in a ward or department based at any one of the four sites identified above, we ask that you cease and do not place any requisitions via Oracle from Monday 5th June until further notice (scheduled 3rd July to recommence normal activity).

Should you require any non-stock equipment or services, please can we ask that you complete the ‘Temporary Non-Stock Order Form’, ensuring that the order form is approved by the authorised budget holder for your ward or department, and that it includes as much detail as possible. The form can also be found on the CHoICE Procurement intranet page. 

Once the form is completed, please return this to stsft.buyersgroup@nhs.net and our Buying team will process the requisition on your behalf and notify you of your requisition/purchase order numbers for reference.

Those wards and departments that receive a Materials Management service will continue to be serviced in the normal way.

We apologise for any inconvenience that our temporary ordering measures cause, however this is unavoidable and is aimed at minimising disruption come 1st July. To reiterate this temporary system downtime and temporary order measures only affect departments that are based at:

  • South Tyneside District Hospital
  • Palmers Community Hospital
  • St Benedict’s Hospice
  • Clarendon.

All other sites and departments can continue to use the system as normal!

Post system updates & go-live 1st July

Once the system updates have been completed, the wards and departments based at the aforementioned sites, will be allocated new location codes (transfer points) and new budget cost centres which will fall in line with the CHoICE Ltd purchasing accounts on the procurement systems.

During the course of June, members of the CHoICE Procurement team, will be contacting and visiting impacted wards and departments to advise them on the new ways of working and to answer any queries.

Oracle Receipting

Please note, the receipting function of Oracle is unaffected by the forthcoming system changes, so please continue receipting activity as normal

NHS Supply Chain System (Stock purchases)

The NHS Supply Chain (Stock) system will also be updated during the course of June for those areas affected by the change to CHoICE Ltd. Further communication will be made in relation to the NHS Supply Chain system, however at present users can continue to use that system as normal.

Should you have any queries please contact:

Ian Graham

Deputy Procurement Operational Manager, CHoICE Procurement Services E-Mail: i.graham1@nhs.net Tel Ext: 41433 (ST - 7141433) or direct line 0191 569912

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