Movianto UK, part of Yusen Logistics, has begun a five-year contract with NHS England to provide logistics and warehousing services to support the country’s national vaccination and immunisation programmes.
The healthcare logistics specialist will manage the end-to-end supply chain for vaccines, including storage, inventory management, order fulfilment, sortation and GDP-compliant temperature-controlled distribution to more than 11,000 healthcare locations across England.
Rather than establishing dedicated warehousing and transport infrastructure for the contract, Movianto will use its existing shared-user healthcare logistics network, which also supports pharmaceutical manufacturers, NHS organisations and UK government departments.
The company said the approach will allow suppliers to move products directly into its regulated storage network, reducing stock transfers between facilities before distribution.
Andy Robinson, deputy managing director at Movianto UK, said: “This shared-user operating model maximises utilisation of existing infrastructure, reduces duplication of resources and delivers improved value through greater operational efficiency.”
Movianto said the model was tested during the mobilisation of the national Meningococcal Group B (MenB) vaccination programme for young people in July. The company expanded capacity to distribute vaccines to community pharmacies and other vaccination providers following cases of meningococcal disease affecting university students in Kent. More than 16,000 orders have since been processed and delivered.
Neil Gibbens, deputy director of performance and delivery improvement at NHS England, said: “The contract represents another significant milestone in NHS England’s commitment to modernising national healthcare logistics through strategic partnerships that combine operational excellence, innovation, sustainability and value for money while strengthening resilience across the UK’s healthcare supply chain.”
The Supply Chain Excellence Awards celebrate the organisations, teams and projects driving improvement across supply chain operations, logistics, technology, sustainability, manufacturing, retail, healthcare and the public sector. Tables are now available to book for the awards ceremony on 5 November at The Great Room, Grosvenor House.
