FOI 26-277 Frameworks NP178/23 NP114/23 NP154/24 NP101/24
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-277 Frameworks NP178/23 NP114/23 NP154/24 NP101/24
- Request Date
- 23 Jun 2026
- Response Date
- 21 Jul 2026
- Information Requested
I would like to request information relating to the Scottish Ambulance Service's use of the following NHS National Procurement frameworks during the most recently completed financial year (2025/26): NP178/23 NP114/23 NP154/24 NP101/24 For each framework, please provide:
- The total value of spend by the Scottish Ambulance Service during financial year 2025/26.
- A breakdown of spend by supplier under each framework.
- For each product purchased under the framework:
- Product code / catalogue code / NHS supply code (whichever identifier is recorded);
- Product description;
- Supplier name;
- Quantity purchased during the financial year;
- Total spend attributed to that product during the financial year.
- The total number of orders or call-off transactions placed under each framework, where available.
- A high-level description of the product categories purchased under each framework.
For clarity, I am requesting: Historical purchasing activity only; Aggregate annual spend by product code; Aggregate annual quantities purchased. I am not requesting: Unit prices; Contract pricing schedules; Supplier bids or tender submissions; Discount arrangements; Rebates; Any other commercially sensitive pricing information.
- Response
Please find attached an Excel spreadsheet containing the information held by the Scottish Ambulance Service in relation to purchasing activity identified against these frameworks.
The spreadsheet provides, where held:
- Contract reference
- Purchase order data date range
- Supplier name
- Product item code
- Product item description
- Number of times the product was ordered during the relevant period
- Total quantity ordered/received by the Service
Please note that the figures are based on Scottish Ambulance Service purchase order activity which has been manually cross-checked against the relevant National Procurement contract award information to identify matching products. The date ranges covered by the purchase order data are shown in the relevant worksheet.
The products purchased under these frameworks relate to clinical consumables and equipment, including airway management products, oxygen delivery products, breathing system components, suction consumables, masks, filters, laryngoscope-related items and associated respiratory/anaesthetic consumables.
While the Scottish Ambulance Service holds spend information, we are withholding this element under section 33(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002, which applies where disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the commercial interests of any person or organisation.
Although you have clarified that you are not seeking unit prices, disclosure of product-level aggregate spend alongside the quantities purchased would allow unit prices to be calculated. In some cases, particularly where there are low volumes or limited product lines, disclosure of framework-level or supplier-level spend could also allow commercially sensitive pricing information to be inferred.
The Service considers that disclosure of this information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of suppliers by revealing pricing information which is not otherwise publicly available and which could affect their ability to compete in future procurement exercises. It could also prejudice the Service’s commercial interests by reducing its ability to obtain best value in future purchasing activity.
As section 33(1)(b) is subject to the public interest test, we have considered the public interest in disclosure. We recognise that there is a public interest in transparency around public sector procurement and expenditure. However, we consider that this interest is met, in part, by the disclosure of supplier names, product descriptions, product codes, order counts and quantities purchased. We have concluded that, in this case, the public interest in protecting commercially sensitive pricing information and maintaining effective competition outweighs the public interest in disclosure of the withheld spend values.
Accordingly, spend values have not been included in the attached spreadsheet.
- Response Documents
