Country Correspondent: Molly Fitzgerald
Clinicians at seven hospitals in Sheffield joined together to create a unique "price-match" scheme that jointly evaluated commonplace items, such as surgical gloves and antiembolism socks, on quality and cost. The hospitals teamed up to buy 11 items in bulk, resulting in savings of GBP 2 million. The savings will be reinvested in better frontline patient care. Prior to the scheme, each hospital department had procured its own products in smaller quantities across a variety of brands, paying different prices for the same product.