Members working in procurement roles across the health service are urged to take part in surveys on IFMS, sourcing and contracts.
We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Procurement National Professional Committee (NPC), bringing together procurement professionals from across the health service to provide a dedicated forum for members working in procurement-related roles.
This marks an important opportunity to strengthen the collective voice of procurement professionals and to ensure that the unique challenges facing the profession are recognised and addressed.
Procurement professionals have consistently highlighted the need for a national structure through which the challenges, opportunities and professional issues affecting the sector can be considered collectively. The NPC will provide that voice, ensuring that the experiences of procurement staff are represented and that issues of national significance can be raised directly with management.
As one of its first priorities, the NPC are asking members to take part in two surveys focusing on key issues currently impacting procurement staff:
1. IFMS (Integrated Financial Management System)
These surveys are being issued to capture, in a structured and detailed way, the experiences of members working directly in these areas. While many issues are already known anecdotally, it is important that the Committee develops a comprehensive evidence base that reflects the day-to-day realities being experienced by procurement staff throughout the service.
In relation to IFMS, the committee is particularly keen to understand the practical implications of the system for members, including workload impacts, changes in processes and responsibilities, training requirements, governance arrangements, operational challenges, and any unintended consequences arising from implementation. The objective is to identify common themes and specific issues affecting members so that they can be raised directly with management and addressed through the appropriate industrial relations and consultative mechanisms.
Similarly, the Sourcing and Contracting survey seeks to capture members’ experiences in relation to procurement processes, resource pressures, role development, operational barriers, compliance requirements, and the evolving expectations being placed upon procurement professionals. Procurement continues to play a critical role in supporting health services, and it is important that the perspective of staff working in these functions informs future discussions on service delivery and workforce development.
The NPC views these surveys as an important first step in establishing a clear agenda for the group. The information gathered will assist the committee in identifying priorities, developing evidence-based positions, and ensuring that issues affecting procurement members are brought forward in a coordinated and informed manner.
The success of this newly established committee will depend on active engagement from members across the procurement workforce. Members are therefore strongly encouraged to participate in the surveys and provide as much detail as possible.
The Committee members are:
| Name | Area |
| Martin Walsh | Louth H&LG |
| Padraig Breen | Wexford H&LG |
| Angela Power | Wexford H&LG |
| Fiona Twomey | Cork H&W |
| Leo Whelan | Carlow H&W |
| Don Mescall | Cork H&LG |
| Jimmy Croarkin | Monaghan H&LG |