Procurement Service

The Procurement Services (PS) department is key to ensuring the effective and efficient management of Western Health’s contracted services. A description of Western Health and its procurement profile is available in the Annual Report.  

​The main function of the department is to mitigate operational, financial and legal risks that may be associated with procurement. This is achieved by:

• providing a central point of access to assist departments with managing contracts effectively
• ensuring contracts are managed using a consistent, transparent and compliant approach
• ensuring managers are equipped and accountable for each contract
• conducting, coordinating and assisting departments through the tendering process when appointing a new service or purchasing a new product or equipment
• ensuring Western Health is informed and adheres to legislative requirements associated with procurement.​ 

Western Health is a mandated public health service under the Health Services Act 1988 that must comply with the HealthShare Victoria (HSV) formally known as Health Purchasing Victoria (HPV) policies and associated contracts. The policies are accessible using the below link:

HSV Health Purchasing Policies » HealthShare Victoria 

Western Health formulates an annual procurement activity plan (see below) to prioritise strategic procurement activities. 

Please note: All planned procurement activities are subject to revision or cancellation. The information in this PAP is provided for planning purposes only and does not present a solicitation or constitute a request for proposal, nor is it a commitment by Western Health to purchase the described goods or services. There is no obligation to respond to or return any unsolicited bids received.

HSV’s formulates an annual Procurement Activity Plan to prioritise strategic procurement activities for the state that complement the WH PAP. The plan is accessible using the below link:

Procurement Activity Plan (PAP) » HealthShare Victoria

A Request for Quotation (RFQ) and a Request for Tender (RFT) are used to select the most appropriate Supplier of goods and/or services to Western. The process aims to:

• conduct a fair, consistent and transparent process
• identify and resolve conflicts of interest
• promote an open competitive process
• ensure accountability for decision  
• outline the requirements to monitor performance.  

The process consists of 4 milestones:

1. planning
2. release
3. evaluation
4. completion.

​All Request for Tender (RFT) documents are released on the Buying for Victoria (Tenders Vic) website. Suppliers are required to register on the website to receive notifications and access the relevant documents. Additional instructions are available on the website. 

Western Health’s engagement with Suppliers aims to ensure the highest levels of trust and accountability in all interactions. The five key elements to assist with achieving this aim are:  

• informing the market
• managing existing supplier relationships
• managing potential sup​plier relationships​​​
• managing complaints
• conducting debriefs. 

Suppliers participating in a Request for Quotation (RFQ) and a Request for Tender (RFT) must not:

• undertake site visits unless authorised and supervised by the Manager of PS or nominated delegate
• approach any current or former staff of Western Health or partner organisations unless otherwise unrelated to the invitation in which the Supplier is participating
• engage in any collusion, anti-competitive conduct or any similar conduct​.

Failure to abide with these conditions may result in disqualification.

For more information refer to documents below:

• Victorian Government Supplier Code of Conduct
• Procurement Complaints Management Process
• ​​Supplier Representative Visits at Western Health - FAQ

The contract formalises the obligations of Western Health and the Supplier. All contracts are aimed to be fair, reasonable and ultimately provide a high-quality outcome that mitigates any financial, operational and legal risks. The contracts management process consists of the following:

• contract approval
• contract monitoring
• contract closure. 

Any new clinical products or equipment to be used at Western Health require formal assessment to mitigate any risks. Please contact the Clinical Category Manager & Clinical Product Advisor (CPA) by email at procurement.services@wh.org.au for more information.​ Send all product recalls and alerts to ProductEquipmentAlert@wh.org.au. 

For information regarding capital projects, you can speak to the Capital Development Team by contacting main reception on (03) 8345 6666. 

More information regarding the NFH project can be accessed using the below links:

• https://www.vhba.vic.gov.au/health/hospitals/new-footscray-hospital
• https://www.vhba.vic.gov.au/ 

We value your feedback. Please contact Procurement Services (PS) by email at procurement.services@wh.org.au