How ethical is your hospital’s purchasing?

Most of the doctors I speak to are genuinely surprised to hear that some of the goods used in the NHS are made in sweats shops by children as young as seven.

It is this lack of awareness that the BMA is trying to address through the launch of an information campaign which aims to mobilise doctors in the NHS to show moral leadership and influence the purchasing decisions of the NHS organisations in which they work.

The campaign is a direct response to a BMA survey which found that only one in ten doctors was aware of fair trade medical supplies but when provided with information eight in ten were supportive.

Whilst there is clearly support amongst healthcare professionals, I am increasingly asked about ethical purchasing in the context of the current economic climate. Many seem conditioned to think that fair trade means more expensive goods however this is not the case.

Many of the supply chains in the NHS are unfathomably complex with goods from the developing world being processed, repackaged and rebadged in Europe before they are sold on to the NHS. At each link of the chain, a middle man skims off his fee often leaving little for the manufacturer, never mind the workers.

As a purchaser with huge buying power the NHS has the clout to put pressure on suppliers to provide more information about their products and how they are produced.

By bringing the manufacturers and the suppliers closer together - supply chains can become more streamlined. Removing the complexity of the supply chain will reduce some of the costs which could be used to fund improvements to working conditions and pay for workers without any additional cost to the NHS. Fair trade cotton scrubs are currently being trialled in my own hospital and these are actually cheaper than their conventionally produced counterparts so we know it can be done.

Many doctors will be involved with purchasing decisions at some point in their career and even if they aren’t, there are some simple things you can do to help. You can start by finding out whether your hospital has an ethical procurement policy, if not encourage your chief executive to adopt one. If you are involved in purchasing - ask questions of your current suppliers. Find out where their products are made and under what conditions.

Doctors can also form local interest groups within their institution to distribute leaflets and discuss the issues. It is also important to engage with other healthcare professionals and patient groups - it may even be worth talking to the local media.

If you want to learn more about the campaign visit the Fair Medical Trade website or show your support by joining the campaign Facebook group.

Tags: Ethics