Toby Chow is an NHS Procurement Graduate at University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and recently completed the Level 4 Procurement Practitioner Apprenticeship with Distinction!
Now that you have completed the Level 4 Apprenticeship, what specific areas of procurement can say you definitely know more about now?
I’d say I’ve learned a lot more about negotiation and commercial contracting. Before the apprenticeship, I had limited exposure, but now I approach negotiations in a more structured way, including understanding supplier positioning and cost breakdowns. I also have a much better grasp of contracts on what to look out for and how they link to managing risk and delivering value for money. It’s made a real difference in how I handle supplier discussions. The ethical and responsible sourcing module was also helpful to understand how sustainability and ethics fit into procurement. Especially in the NHS where there’s a strong focus on social value, this made me more aware of supplier practices and its wider impact on procurement outcome.
What would you say you can now do with more confidence?
I’m definitely more confident applying my procurement knowledge across different areas, not just what I do day-to-day. Since I mainly work in clinical and corporate procurement, there are areas like logistics or capital procurement that I don’t always get hands-on experience in. But now I feel like I understand the bigger picture much better, and I’m more comfortable stepping into those areas when needed and knowing how everything fits together.
How would you say you’re adding value to your organisation?
I think the main way I add value is by actually applying what I’ve learned in real situations. For example, I’ve started using negotiation techniques like BATNA and break-even analysis when speaking with suppliers, which helped me achieve around a 14% price reduction on one project. That was a really good result for the Trust.
Another example is when I was working on a sourcing project where supplier is based in Denmark. Interestingly, I just learned about Incoterms on that week and I was able to apply that straight away by using DDP terms in the contract. That helped manage delivery risks and made things a lot smoother. So, it’s been quite rewarding to see what I’ve learned actually support my job for successful delivery of projects and drives value for money.
Alongside your Level 4 Apprenticeship you also studied for the NHS Edward Jenner leadership qualification, how did you find juggling all your various commitments?
It was definitely a lot to manage by doing the apprenticeship, the Edward Jenner qualification, and working full-time at the same time. So having the off-the-job hours really helped me plan my time and break things down into smaller chunks. I actually found it quite useful doing leadership qualification at the same time as the leadership side complemented the procurement work really well. It gave me a broader perspective, not just focusing on technical skills but also how to work with people and lead in the future.
What did you cover in your project report for End Point Assessment?
My project was based on sourcing patient identification labels, which ended up delivering some really good savings for the Trust. I looked at things like market analysis, worked closely with stakeholders, and carried out negotiations with suppliers. I think what I’m most proud of is that it brought together everything I’d learned through CIPS with and applied it to a real piece of work.
How Did you find the EPA?
It was quite daunting at the start, but I had a lot of support along the way. My APA tutor, Amanda, was amazing. She went through my report multiple times and gave really practical feedback on how to improve it. I think we went back and forth about 7 – 8 times! She also helped me prepare for the presentation and the Q&A, which made me feel a lot more confident going into it. Looking back, it was challenging, but a really good learning experience as well. And achieving a distinction in both my project report and presentation was a nice recognition of all the hard work I put in throughout this journey.
With the Level 4 Apprenticeship and CIPS Level 4 Diploma successfully completed, what does the future hold for you?
The apprenticeship with APA has given me a solid foundation for my role and has helped me feel more prepared to take on more responsibility and progress towards a more senior position, and I feel confident to step up when the opportunity comes. I’m also keen to keep developing my knowledge, so my next step is to start working towards CIPS Level 5 and continue building on what I’ve learned.