NEW polling suggests that the majority of the public are in favour of the NHS using more third sector suppliers, such as charities and social enterprises, to deliver NHS commissioned services and as part of its supply chain.
Of the 2,083 people polled by Yonder Consulting on behalf of Skills for Health, 83% said that organisations which prioritise social purpose over profit should be the NHS’s primary partners when it comes to the supply of goods and services. A further 63% agreed with the suggestion that the NHS should take active steps to work with a greater proportion of suppliers from the third sector.
In addition to highlighting the value that the public places on the NHS utilising third sector suppliers, the poll also indicates strong public preference for suppliers located in the UK, with 73% in favour of NHS procurement prioritising UK-based firms.
Exploring the reasons behind this finding, social value creation appears to be at the forefront of people’s minds, with two-thirds of those polled in agreement that NHS supply chains and commissioning should prioritise suppliers who closely embody the NHS’s founding principles.
NHS procurement from third sector organisations stands at around 1% of total spend, and in February the Government Commercial Function issued the National Public Procurement Policy Statement, signaling its intention to ‘maximise’ the role of third sector suppliers across government and the NHS. Despite this, however, real terms spending on third sector suppliers in some areas is forecast to have declined in the financial year ending 31 March 2025.
Jon Czul is Managing Director at Skills for Health, a not-for-profit that supports the NHS to improve skills, leadership and workforce outcomes.
Responding to the poll’s findings, he commented:
“The third sector makes a vital contribution to the delivery of NHS services, whether behind the scenes or out in the community providing care to patients on behalf of – or in partnership with – NHS providers.
“It is encouraging to see that a majority of the public seems to recognise this fact and, moreover, that the public identifies closely with the principles and values that the third sector embodies.
“The delivery of integrated people-centred care requires a partnership approach that utilises the expertise and resources of public, private and third sectors, as well as working closely with stakeholders whose values reflect those of the public and the NHS. It follows that there is definite scope for third sector organisations to play an expanded role in supporting UK healthcare provision into the future.”
NCVO represents more than 17,000 charities, social enterprises, voluntary organisations and community groups across the UK. The organisation has been vocal in calling for measures to encourage third sector involvement in public procurement processes, including the NHS.
Sarah Elliot, Chief Executive at NCVO, commented:
“Charities and voluntary organisations play a vital role in our health system. They are rooted in communities, trusted by the people they support, and bring specialist knowledge shaped by lived experience. From mental health to end-of-life care, they often reach people others can’t.
“This polling shows the public recognises their value. But too often, commissioning creates unnecessary barriers for charities – especially smaller ones – resulting in exclusion from delivery or unsustainable funding arrangements. If we want more person-centred care, we need a commissioning environment that provides greater recognition of the value that charities bring as a strategic partner in service design and delivery.”
Professor John Mohan heads up the Third Sector Research Centre at University of Birmingham and in 2024 he published an article co-authored with Oxford University’s Dr Charles Rahal examining the role of the third sector in NHS supply chains and commissioning.
Professor Mohan commented:
“The survey indicates strong support for delivery of services from organisations that closely embody the NHS’s founding principles. No-one should be surprised that the majority of the public are in favour of third sector organisations over commercial ones, and this survey is another indication of strong public support for the NHS. However, the survey doesn’t provide any strong indication that the public think that third sector organisations should be preferred to the NHS Trusts, which continue to deliver the bulk of NHS services.
“Recent research shows that procurement from third sector organisations remains relatively limited, at around 1% by transaction volume and value, despite large scale reforms such as the Health and Social Care Act of 2012 which attempted to open the market to providers external to the NHS.
“The low proportion of NHS service spending that goes to third sector organisations is often explained in terms of barriers that particularly affect the ability of these organisations to win contracts. But the apparently limited success of policies aimed at increasing third-sector provision of services might also suggest that the distinctive benefits these organisations offer could be articulated more effectively to those commissioning public services.”
The opinion poll by Yonder Consulting on behalf of Skills for Health. The opinions reflected are those of a nationally representative sample of more than 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over.
