Pictured above: Rob Tolley (left) receiving his award from Peter Masters

A Shropshire business has saved out-of-hours services and GP practices more than £250,000 in the last year.

Fluid Network Solutions, a telecommunications company based in Shrewsbury, was formed in 2003 and provides services to members of a buying consortium run by Caradoc Medical Services.

Caradoc  is the sister company of Shropshire Doctors' GP Co-operative Ltd, the not for profit out of hours provider in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Powys. 

It runs a buying consortium for all local GP practices and over the last 12 months has expanded this nationwide and membership now stands at around 1,000 GP practices. 

Caradoc also run buying consortiums for Small and Medium businesses and is soon to launch into Veterinary and dental surgeries.

 Peter Masters, of Caradoc, said: "Membership to the buying consortium is completely free and with nearly 100 suppliers now on board we have been able to offer members some considerable savings. 

"Some GP Practices have saved over £15,000 per year whilst some SME members' savings are in excess of £100,000 per year.

"Fluid Network Solutions was crowned supplier of the year for savings made by the out of hours organisations and GP practices because they saved consortium members over £250,000 in the last year."

Rob Tolley, of Fluid Network Solutions Ltd, said: "We are really pleased to have been part of this hugely successful venture and to have saved GP practices and other services so much money.

"We are totally committed to quality and professionalism in every aspect of our business and with more than 50 years experience gained by our directors in the telecom industry, working with major players such as BT, Telewest, Energis, Toshiba and NEC, it means that not only have we seen the market develop but we have been involved in its evolution.

"Because of this our clients have the reassurance that they are working with one of the most experienced partnerships in the industry."

The Caradoc Medical Services Buying Consortium was started in May 2009 by Shropdoc , an out of hours GP Co-Operative not for profit organisation.

The consortium has been set up to maximise the buying power of the group and help members maximise profitability through enhanced buying terms and money savings ideas, as well as providing members with an inactive trade services directory and promoting various staff benefits to the staff the practices employ.

Unlike other consortiums there is no membership or annual fees. The concept is based on a true co-operative with benefits being passed back to its members. Membership is now being extended via Urgent Health UK, a social enterprise group made up of 10 out of hours organisations which represent over 1,000 GP practices and 30,000 members of staff.

"Due to the success of the award we want to launch Networking Solutions to allow all the suppliers in the buying consortium to be utilised for small businesses," added Mr Tolley.

"It will mean cost savings for everyone involved. We saved £250,000 worth of services and we are taking the module, the same suppliers, and launching it to businesses."