NHS update

Issue 1, 26 March

Dear Customer

COVID-19 is bringing unprecedented challenges for everyone, and for our customers across the NHS, we want you to know how we are responding to support you.

What have we done so far?

• we’ve streamlined how we manage requests for urgent commercial support to help maintain public services and assess offers of support from suppliers
• we’ve increased capacity to meet the unprecedented demand, including extending some commercial agreements and delaying some non-essential procurement activities, so we can focus on what is important right now
• we’re supporting the cross-government response, including the issue of emergency procurement policy notes that provide advice on how to apply public procurement guidelines at this time, including payment of suppliers and contingent workers affected by COVID-19
• we’ve created a dedicated COVID-19 area on our website so buyers and suppliers can easily access the latest information

Keeping you up to date

We appreciate how busy you are right now and we want to strike the right balance between keeping you up to date and allowing you to focus on your priorities. So, we will share the latest news, guidance and support with you in a weekly newsletter.

Rest assured though that if we do need to communicate with you more urgently you won’t need to wait a week to hear from us.

Kind regards

Tracy Clark, Customer Experience Director

What you need to know this week

Urgent COVID-19 related commercial activity

If you need urgent commercial support to maintain essential services at this time, here’s how we can help you.

Public procurement regulations: exceptional circumstances

A procurement policy note has been published providing guidance on buying goods, services and works with extreme urgency due to COVID-19.

Payment of suppliers

A procurement policy note has been published with guidance on contractual relief for suppliers due to COVID-19. This has information about paying your suppliers (including contingent workers) to ensure service and business continuity during and after the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Enabling home working

A summary of how we can help you buy technology products and services to improve home working for your employees.

Stay up to date

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Our mailing address is:
Crown Commercial Service
Floor 9, The Capital Building
Old Hall Street
Liverpool, L3 9PP