Six month supply chain in two weeks for NHS Nightingale

A supply chain operation that would normally take six months to put in place has been set up by DHL Supply Chain in two weeks to  support the build and running of the emergency Nightingale field hospitals across the country.

To support the regional emergency hospitals, operations have been set-up in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Liverpool, where approximately 3,000 lines of key medical equipment and consumables will be received, stored, picked and delivered straight to the hospitals.

In total the sites will handle over 20,000 pallets in the next two months. Patient monitors and ultrasound systems will be assembled on site with the support of manufacturer personnel allowing the equipment to be put into immediate use in current ICU departments or field hospitals.

DHL’s NHS procurement teams have also been supporting the sourcing of Covid-19 equipment for NHS Trust ICU’s and the Nightingale Field Hospital including ventilators, patient monitoring, vascular ultrasound, mobile x-ray, laryngoscopes and CT scanners. Phased deliveries for the new equipment will run over next two months.

David Pierpoint, MD UK, Life Sciences and Healthcare at DHL Supply Chain said: “Through the expertise and commitment of our teams and their drive to support frontline NHS workers and patients, we’ve helped get a new hospital open in a matter of days, alleviate pressure on the ambulance service and access much needed equipment.”

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS)  said that purchasing the products and equipment needed for  a hospital the size of NHS Nightingale Hospital London would usually take over 18 months, but was also conducted in two weeks.

Phil Davies, director of procurement at NHS SBS, said: “The speed of response needed across the NHS procurement sector to support the frontline and get the new NHS Nightingale hospitals up and running quickly has been quite incredible. We’ve been pleased to be able to put our experience to good use in supporting the national effort.

“Our procurement team has extensive knowledge of the NHS supplier market through our framework portfolio, and relationships that have been established over many years – both of which are invaluable for a time-critical emergency response like this.”