As an organisation funded by public money, there are rules on how we procure services and tie the Trust / CHS into legally binding contracts. There are only a handful of people in the Trust / CHS who have the delegated authority to sign a contract, and only when it has been agreed by Procurement, who need to ensure it has followed our policies and procedures.

What happens when a contract is incorrectly agreed?

Here are a couple of quick examples of where engaging with a supplier without speaking to Procurement could impact the Trust/CHS.

Signing a contract with a supplier to provide services without involving Procurement

If this happens it means we won't have carried out the due diligence required on the new supplier. We may also already have a contract with a supplier to provide the same services. As a result, this will put the Trust in breach of the original contract and the original supplier can penalise us to claim back lost income.

Verbally agreed contracts can be classed as legally binding

Although nothing is documented, verbally agreeing services with a supplier can be classed as legally binding. These agreements are legally difficult to prove in the event of a breach or failure to deliver the service. This can leave us open to having to pay for non-delivery as well as find another supplier to deliver the services for us at additional costs.

What should I do if I am approached by an organisation or want to procure services?

  • If you are approached by a supplier or organisation wanting to sell their services, please signpost to the Buying Team as we may already have a supplier that we use, and other checks will need to be made.
  • When speaking with suppliers always advise them you are not able to agree any services and that only the Procurement Team must agree any contracts
  • Please do not sign or agree contracts with suppliers without speaking to the Trust/CHS Contract Management team or Procurement
  • If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to Fran Summerton, our Senior Contract Manager for the Trust / CHS