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NHS supply chain risk: how Guy's and St Thomas' stayed resilient

St Thomas' Hospital building, part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

At a Glance

Client: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Sector: Healthcare
Challenge: Post-pandemic food distribution issues and driver shortages created a real risk to patient, visitor and staff dining, with regular supply items unavailable in the required quantities and costs moving beyond normal seasonal swings.
Solution: Proactive procurement support including contingency planning, supplier meetings to identify critical menu products, listing additional suppliers for high-risk items, and weekly stock forecasting and risk review calls.
Results: Protected supply continuity for patient, visitor and staff dining, greater flexibility through additional listed suppliers for high-risk products, and catering teams freed up to focus on food quality rather than supplier troubleshooting.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust: navigating supply chain disruption post-pandemic

While the effects of the pandemic are starting to wane, the aftershocks are still being felt by consumers – and more acutely by anyone closely involved with supply chains.

The challenge: food distribution and driver shortages during supply chain disruption

Agility is the key skill in demand at procurement specialists Pelican Procurement Services (now known as Avendra International), where clients continue to face the challenge of upended deliveries and stock shortages. Robert Cormack, general manager Catering Central Services, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, explains:

“Following on from the pressures of the pandemic and the Government relaxing the lockdown rules, we could finally adjust to the hope of returning to business as usual. However, Avendra International, made us aware of the industry challenges surrounding food distribution and driver shortages. This was a significant concern for the Trust as the impact presented a risk to patient, visitor and staff dining.”

The solution: proactive contingency planning and supplier collaboration

Nicola Davidson, client procurement lead at Avendra International, says that procurement right now is much more than simply monitoring supply contracts and service level agreements.

Nicola Davidson, Client Service Director at Avendra International

“We are facing daily situations where regular supply items cannot be delivered in the required quantities – if at all. For those who have planned menus, this can be a real issue. And we are also seeing costs move far more than we might expect from more normal seasonal swings.”

Robert Cormack continues: “The team at Avendra International were very proactive in addressing the challenges and had already started contingency planning and identifying the products which were critical for our menus. Avendra International facilitated supplier meetings which enabled us to collaborate and make changes that would support our suppliers and ultimately protect our incoming deliveries. Additional suppliers were listed to provide flexibility and high-risk products were listed with numerous suppliers to ensure order fulfilment.

The support Avendra International provides is invaluable to my catering teams, allowing them the time to focus on delivering the best quality food for our patients, staff and visitors.”

What ongoing procurement support looks like week to week

Some of the tasks the Avendra International team will complete in a typical week, supporting clients include:

Weekly service call with suppliers to review challenges, resolution plans and preventative steps taken
Sourcing additional supply routes for high-risk products, long term out of stocks
Facilitating deep cleans in catering kitchens, in a bid to help prevent and avoid staff sickness which adds to the operational challenges
Identifying business-critical lines and planning contingency plans around these products
Weekly stock forecasting supporting both client and supplier
Facilitate weekly calls with key stakeholders to identify potential risks, discuss progress on short and long term strategies for resolution
Consolidate delivery days and locations where possible as a short term measure
Listing additional suppliers to support contingency plans
Forward planning of events and forecasting stock to prevent shortages
Reviewing the efficiency of incoming deliveries

Talk to our procurement experts

If you are looking for procurement and supply chain support, please contact us at hello_UK@avendra.com

FAQs

How can hospitals reduce the risk of food supply shortages?

Avendra International can help NHS trusts strengthen supply chain resilience through proactive supplier management, procurement expertise and alternative sourcing strategies. This can help hospitals identify potential supply risks, develop contingency options and maintain continuity for patient, staff and visitor catering.

How can a procurement partner support hospitals during supply chain disruption?

Avendra International can work closely with suppliers and healthcare catering teams to identify potential risks and find alternative sourcing options when disruption occurs. Proactive supplier management and contingency planning can help hospitals respond to shortages while maintaining continuity of supply.

Can Avendra International help hospitals find alternative suppliers?

Yes. Avendra International can use its procurement and supply chain expertise to identify alternative suppliers and supply routes when required. This gives healthcare organisations greater flexibility when products are unavailable or existing supply arrangements are disrupted.