Competition for acute services is contracts is sharper than it has ever been.

As an acute NHS trust you will be concentrating on ensuring your performance meets the national requirements - national standards of quality, national waiting times - as well as brings or keeps you in financial balance.

These immediate pressures can sometimes distract us from what else is going on around us and from thinking in the longer term.

Already NHS trusts are losing business to Independent Sector Treatment Centres and to primary care providers offering the routine and non complex end of out patients and day cases at a price below the national tariff.

How are you making sure you are aware of the contracts being tendered which might impact on your business or provide valuable opportunities?  www.clinicalchambers.co.uk can help ensure you are kept aware.

When it comes to putting forward a bid, would your bid look stronger if it involved local GPs, perhaps those with a relevant Special Interest?  Or perhaps it would look stronger still if it included patients' views?

Again, by registering with us you will be able to search for  and advertise for those partners with whom you could deliver a stronger bid.

By joining as a National Member you will be notified of all contracts being tendered across England.  Local Members are just kept informed of contracts within their County.  As an NHS trust you might want to ensure you are well informed of everything going on across England, after all forewarned is forearmed!

Be informed.  Get networked!