NHS Trust IT procurement runs through specific frameworks (Health Tech Connect, NHS SBS, CCS) and assurance processes (DSP Toolkit, DCB0129/0160 clinical safety, HSCN). This is the practical playbook for Trust IT teams + suppliers navigating NHS procurement.
The 5 procurement routes
1. DHSC + NHS England direct procurement for strategic / large-value buys.
2. NHS SBS (Shared Business Services) frameworks — common for managed IT services + hardware.
3. Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks — G-Cloud, Technology Services 4 — increasingly used by NHS.
4. Health Tech Connect — clinical software innovation route.
5. Trust-direct procurement for sub-threshold purchases (typically under £50k).
Mandatory supplier evidence
DSP Toolkit submission — annual.
Cyber Essentials Plus — increasingly required.
ISO 27001 — required for some workloads + frameworks.
DCB0129 (manufacturer) / DCB0160 (deployer) for clinical systems.
HSCN Code of Connection for connectivity.
Common procurement priorities 2026
Backup modernisation — moving off tape, achieving DSP backup standard, ransomware posture. See our backup buyer's guide.
EPR migrations — Cerner, Epic, Meditech, System C, Servelec deployments + integrations.
Microsoft 365 + Defender XDR consolidation — moving off legacy email + AV.
PACS / radiology storage refresh — Pure FlashBlade, NetApp ONTAP, Dell PowerScale.
Network refresh — HSCN modernisation, Aruba / Meraki rollouts.
What Servnet does
Servnet supplies NHS Trusts through CCS frameworks + NHS SBS routes — see our Healthcare practice. Typical engagement: 1) procurement route advice, 2) DSP Toolkit support, 3) deployment + handover, 4) ongoing managed services.