DoH to receive £1.06m in royalties from NHS SBS

The Department of Health is to receive £1.06m in royalties from NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), a joint venture between the Department of Health and business outsourcing specialist Steria.

The sum will be re-distributed to the NHS trusts and organisations who subscribe to NHS SBS services. This is the first in a series of payments which are earmarked for distribution amongst NHS SBS clients over the next few years.

Launched in 2005, NHS SBS provides shared business services to a growing number of NHS trusts. It currently works with 125 NHS organisations (representing 30% of all NHS trusts), delivering shared business services such as payroll and finance and accounting.

NHS SBS was established to help NHS trusts streamline back-office functions and deliver greater operational efficiency, thus enabling key staff to focus on frontline care.

The shared services delivery model offers modernisation, high flexibility and cost savings. The results are encouraging, particularly at time when the as public sector resources are further tightened by the recently announced emergency budget.

Over the last three years, NHS SBS has seen a substantial rise in levels of client satisfaction; the most recent survey shows that 87% of NHS SBS clients state they would recommend the service.

The joint venture now also delivers the added benefit of sharing proceeds with participating trusts. More than 21 million people in the UK have NHS healthcare delivered by NHS SBS clients.