We asked Ruth Ellis, Director of Insourcing at SET Healthcare, why customers should use our Insourced Services framework. Drawing on her own experience and that of the wider industry, Ruth told us the following.
As the NHS continues its drive to reduce diagnostic backlogs and deliver services in line with the 10 Year Plan, the need for additional capacity in echocardiography remains pressing, especially in historically hard to recruit geographical areas.
While some trusts choose to commission services under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR), many are finding greater simplicity, speed and compliance procuring through the NHS Workforce Alliance Insourced Services framework (RM6276). This framework, designed specifically to increase NHS capacity, provides a compliant, quality-assured route to specialist providers and, crucially, enables faster mobilisation of services.
At SET Healthcare, we have been supporting NHS Trusts by providing British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) accredited echocardiography teams through the current Workforce Alliance framework, helping to reduce waiting lists and ensure continuity of care across both acute and community settings.
Compared to one-off procurement models, the Alliance framework offers a fully compliant NHS-approved route, structured specifically for clinical insourcing. It brings together pre-approved providers with proven track records, significantly reducing procurement timelines and allowing trusts to act quickly without compromising on governance, quality, or outcomes.
The current framework RM6276 will soon be superseded by RM6395, with Lot 1 of the new agreement continuing to offer valuable opportunities to support niche and specialist areas of need, including echocardiography and other hard-to-fill roles. Trusts seeking to future-proof their capacity strategies could consider early engagement with the new framework to ensure continued access to experienced providers in high-demand specialties.
The NHS 10 Year Plan sets out a clear shift from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. These goals are no longer just strategic, they are reshaping how diagnostics are delivered on the ground.
For example, SET Healthcare is currently delivering consistent echocardiography capacity across Lincolnshire’s Community Diagnostic Centres in Grantham, Lincoln and Skegness. These sites are helping bring diagnostics closer to patients, particularly in coastal and rural areas, reducing unnecessary hospital visits, enabling earlier detection, and alleviating pressure on core services. Our teams work in partnership with local services, providing fully digital reporting and adhering to BSE standards throughout.
All SET Healthcare echocardiography services are delivered by BSE-accredited Cardiac Physiologists. We comply with the BSE Supplier Charter, which sets out clear expectations for external providers.
Trusts need confidence that external providers meet the same professional and clinical standards as internal teams. The BSE Insourcing and Community Provider Charter is designed to support safe, consistent, and high-quality care across all providers.”
Jo Sopala, CEO of British Society of Echocardiography
As echocardiography services remain under pressure, the need for trusted, scalable solutions is clear. The Alliance framework, both in its current form and its future successor, RM6395 offers a practical route for sourcing high-quality specialist support.
If your trust is exploring options to expand echo capacity, whether in acute settings or through Community Diagnostic Centres, early engagement with the Alliance framework and its specialist providers is a smart place to start.