Procurement

Led by John Swords, National Director of Procurement. John-Swords

The HSE is accountable for effective and compliant procurement that delivers value for money with security of supply. To support the delivery of health and social care services, the HSE, as the largest purchaser in the state, has a procurement spend of approximately €4 billion on goods and services on an annual basis. Procurement activities take place within a regulated environment underpinned by complex EU and national legislation.

Procurement objectives

Support service delivery across the health sector: Provide continuity of supply; ensuring availability of appropriate quality goods and services where needed, when needed. 

Maintain effective governance and compliance: Ensure the HSE and all staff members comply with procurement Directives, Legislation, Circulars and other legal requirements. 

Achieve greater value for money to support reinvestment into patient care and service delivery: Ensure that purchasing is carried out in a coordinated and strategic manner that maximises opportunities for savings and improved compliance. 

Facilitate environmental, societal and economic objectives through procurement: Encourage and stimulate opportunities for green procurement, innovation, social inclusion and participation by SME and micro enterprise in the procurement process.

HSE Procurement Shared Services

The following shared services functions support the end-to-end procurement process.

Sourcing and Contracting

  • Operates on a public sector wide basis in collaboration with the OGP and directly procures and establishes compliant contracts for the health specific expenditure categories.
  • Sourcing and establishment of contracts to enable self-service procurement.

Logistics and Inventory Management

  • Manage the purchase and storage of goods to optimise efficiencies for service delivery.
  • Drives greater efficiencies through management of stock at the point of use. 

Corporate Procurement Planning and Compliance Improvement

  • Responsible for coordinating multi-annual procurement planning, procurement relationship management, compliance improvement and capability and capacity development across Hospital Groups, CHOs. Section 38 and 39 Agencies and Corporate Services.

Business Systems

  • Provide business and system analyst support for procurement related systems including the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS).
  • The provision of self-service procurement within thresholds through digital enablement.

Customer Information

HSE Procurement Customer Charter

HSE Procurement commits to working collaboratively with our customers for procurement related requirement. Please refer to our Customer Charter for more information:

HSE Procurement Customer Charter (PDF, size 336.2 KB, 2 pages)

HSE Procurement Portal

The HSE Procurement Portal provides access to:

  • PSR - Procurement Support Request: An online form to request tendering support for the Health Sector. If you require HSE Procurement to source on your behalf and manage a competitive sourcing competition, the PSR Form should be completed. Access the PSR form.
  • PACE - Procurement Agreements & Contracts eRepository: Details of HSE/health sector agreements and contracts for goods & services.
  • PACT - Procurement Assessment Compliance Tool: An online self-assessment tool to report on all expenditure >€25k as required by Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and Department of Finance Circular 40-02.

Access to PACE & PACT requires system registration. Register to access to PACE & PACT

A single Procurement point of contact for customer and vendor enquiries is at Procurement.Helpdesk@hse.ie.

Supplier Information

The HSE has an extensive network of suppliers with the overwhelming majority being made up of SME’s (small-to-medium enterprises).

HSE Procurement are committed to engaging and collaborating with the supply base, this continued engagement with current and prospective suppliers will be required to assist in transforming how services are delivered along with achieving agreed Sláintecare objectives. 

Please refer to our Supplier Charter for more information

Access HSE Procurement Overview of upcoming tenders 2023 here

HSE Purchase Order Payments >100k

HSE Procurement Helpdesk

HSE Procurement has a dedicated Customer Relationship Management Helpdesk for managing all customer and supplier procurement related queries. You can contact the helpdesk by emailing Procurement.Helpdesk@hse.ie.

HSE Procurement Leadership Team

National Director of Procurement
John Swords
Dr. Steevens’ Hospital,
Dublin 8.
Email: ellen.robinson@hse.ie 

Assistant National Director Procurement
Logistics & Inventory Management
Fra Mollen
HSE Procurement,
National Distribution Centre (NDC),
Burlington Business Park,
Tullamore,
Co Offaly. 
Email: francis.mollen@hse.ie

Assistant National Director Procurement
Strategic Sourcing and Contracting
Siobhan Dunphy
Dr. Steevens’ Hospital,
Dublin 8.
Email: siobhan.dunphy@hse.ie 

Assistant National Director Procurement
Corporate Procurement Planning & Compliance Improvement 
Miriam Rourke
St. Dympnas Hospital,
Athy Road,
Carlow,
R93 DE62  
Email: miriam.rourke@hse.ie

Assistant National Director Procurement
Business Systems
Brian Long
Ballycummin Avenue,
Raheen Business Park,
Limerick 
Email: brian.long1@hse.ie

HSE Standard Terms for Services & Supplies

The objective of HSE's Standard Terms for Service & Supplies is to protect HSE's commercial interests in a fair and reasonable manner with due regard to the rights of the contracting party.

View HSE Standard Terms for Services and Supplies (PDF)

Overarching Rules & Regulations

HSE Procurement is governed by legislations, government policy, circulars, internal procedure and relevant guidelines

Overarching Rule and Regulations document (PDF)

National Financial Regulations

National Financial Regulations YouTube Training Videos

The HSE Corporate Procurement Plan 2022-2024

The HSE Corporate Procurement Plan 2022-2024 sets out the key priorities to be delivered over the next three years to improve and enhance procurement activities with the health service

Access the HSE Corporate Procurement Plan (PDF)

IFMS - Integrated Financial Management System

IFMS Project

The IFMS Project is a project within our Finance Reform Programme to introduce a modern finance and procurement system for the health sector. The first phase of IFMS will go live on 3 July 2023. This will have impact on suppliers to the HSE.

Please visit the IFMS Webpage for further information as to the impact it will have on suppliers and what actions need to be taken.

Office of Government Procurement (OGP)

HSE Procurement work in collaboration with the OGP in support of the government strategy for procurement across the public sector. Common categories of products and services are procured by the OGP.

The HSE procure health specific categories and also health specific categories for other Departments and agencies.

The HSE continues to govern the procurement operations of the health system for health specific purposes as set out in the Health Act.

Read more about the Office of Government Procurement

HSE Procurement news and events

HSE Procurement meets the healthcare marketplace (PDF, size 624.4 KB, 1 page)

An Integrated Procurement Approach for Health with Section 38 39 Agencies

Steering the procurement of goods and services across the health service

Collaborating to professionalise procurement in the public health service

Keeping track of COVID-19 Vaccine

Funding awarded to support the Health Service for the supply of COVID-19 PPE