MILLIONS of pounds is going to waste in Cumbria as hospitals pay over the odds for everyday medical products.

A new NHS procurement league table shows the trust in charge of Barrow's Furness General Hospital is ranked within the top five in the country for securing a good deal on items like scalpels, surgical gloves and bandages.

Bosses at the helm of Carlisle's Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital, meanwhile, are ranked 72nd nationally.

It means the two trusts are paying different prices for the same products, despite being located in the same county.

The organisations are now looking to join forces to help save a combined amount of at least £1.7m by seeking out the best prices from suppliers and taking advantage of economies of scale - a move that could save enough cash to fund around 75 extra nurses for a year.

Centrally-held data shows the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust could save between £614,000 and £1.6m if it tightened up its buying procedures even further.

Aaron Cummins, the trust's director of finance and deputy chief executive, said being ranked fifth best in the country for procurement was an excellent achievement.

"In Cumbria, the local NHS has worked hard to reduce costs where possible while also driving up the quality of the products used in its hospitals and community settings.

"The trust is delighted to be recognised as fifth on the NHS procurement league table.

"In 2015 UHMBT were the first trust in the country to be accredited by The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supplies.

"The application process was very in-depth and made us really look at ourselves and the service that we offer to both staff in the trust and external partners and suppliers that we deal with.

"This gave UHMBT the building block to ensure that the best price is available on all products and services purchased."

NCUHT, however, has been given a larger savings target by the Department of Health of between £1.1m and £2.3m.

Robin Andrews, interim finance director for from the trust, added: "Our trust is committed to making the best possible use of resources for the benefit of our patients.

"With the help of our dedicated staff, we made savings of £13.4m in the last financial year and are on track to make further significant savings this year, including through more efficient procurement.

"In our continued work to ensure the best possible use of public resources we are working with our partners at Cumbria Partnership NHS Trust and UHMBT to join up our processes and ensure they are streamlined and provide best value for money for patients across Cumbria."

Government health secretary Jeremy Hunt wants all hospitals in the UK to stop paying over the odds for items in a bid to save the cash-starved NHS £300m every year.

He said too much variation in the prices paid for medical kit means some trusts are paying £12 for a box of 100 surgical syringes while their neighbouring NHS organisation is paying just £4.

Other examples include a pack of 12 surgical gloves that cost different hospitals anything between 35 pence and £16.47 and 100 adhesive plasters that cost between £1.68 and £21.76.

Speaking at a the NHS Providers conference last week, Mr Hunt insisted the NHS is one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world.

But he said: "We must not be complacent when there is still baffling variation in the prices that hospitals are paying for supplies.

“We want to support the NHS to save money wherever possible so it can be reinvested into frontline services.”

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How do Cumbria's hospital trust rank nationally?

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust - 5th

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust - 72nd

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How much does the Department of Health claim could each save?

UHMBT - between £614,782 and £1,673,128

NCUHT - between £1,113,053 and £2,348,170

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How much does a registered nurse earn on average?

An average salary for a registered nurse in England is £23,319 a year.