National Catalogue Supports Savings For DHBs and Suppliers

Media Statement /
For Immediate Release
24 April 2013
National Catalogue Supports Savings For DHBs and Suppliers

Health Benefits Limited is progressing its work on a National Catalogue to provide, accurate product data for District Health Boards’ and businesses who supply the health sector.

The Catalogue will ultimately allow all DHB product purchasing to be done off one platform, using global standards known as GS1. It is part of planned changes to the way DHBs buy products and services that are designed to allow the sector to order more efficiently and manage stock more effectively.

The benefits for suppliers in having a DHB National Catalogue are:

• A one-stop shop for product data to the Sector
• Improved visibility and reach for products
• Significantly reduced time and cost to introduce new products to the sector
• Reduced costs in supporting DHB needs – they can do it once via the National Catalogue

The National Catalogue will therefore create savings opportunities for both suppliers and the sector. It is part of an overall Finance, Procurement and Supply Chain programme aimed at delivering substantial benefits to the health sector. Any savings from the work HBL does with DHBs are available for spending elsewhere in health.

HBL has already engaged with suppliers and the sector over the past 18 months about its catalogue plans, and the intention is to make sure all suppliers of goods and services to the sector are registered on the Catalogue by the end of this year. HBL will this week be contacting existing DHB suppliers further about the registration process. Further information for suppliers about the DHB National Catalogue is available at http://www.gs1nz.org/health_benefits.php.

About HBL
HBL is a Crown agency that has specifically been set up to help District Health Boards (DHBs) save money by reducing their administrative, support and procurement costs. HBL works in partnership with DHBs. This approach enables the company to identify opportunities that would otherwise be difficult for an individual DHB or smaller group of DHBs to achieve on their own.
The programmes HBL and the health sector are working on have already started to deliver millions of dollars in annual savings. This is particularly in the area of national procurement, where the combined purchasing power of DHBs has been utilised to negotiate single contracts with some suppliers.
Any proposals by HBL will be shared with DHBs and provided to staff via established processes, such as established local engagement processes; to ensure people have an opportunity to provide feedback before decisions are made.

ENDS

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