The NHS Confederation believes there is a continuing need for investment in NHS facilities and equipment to allow the delivery of high quality and clinically safe healthcare in the most appropriate settings. However, investment needs to be in its broadest sense - in workforce and technology as well as bricks and mortar - and should follow decisions on service configuration.

Through the Future Healthcare Network (FHN), the NHS Confederation sought to improve processes for strategic planning, design and procurement, and to inform and translate into investment projects the wider service reconfiguration agenda. The Department of Health white paper 'Our health, our care, our community' in particular will have implications for design and procurement of these facilities.

Priorities for FHN during 2007 included identifying examples of flexible design that will allow the NHS to provide modern healthcare in sustainable facilities and so contribute to the wider community agenda.

FHN also jointly hosted a medical equipment forum with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) and the Department of Health Private Finance Unit (PFU). Medical equipment is a key issue for large Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects from a procurement perspective, and diagnostics equipment is a key element of process redesign to achieve the 18-week target for the time between referral and treatment.

FHN ceased to exist as a separate membership group in April 2008, but the NHS Confederation continues to deliver a work programme in the area of strategy and investment.

Return to the key issues index.