Abstract
Ron Coxford will be sorely missed by his family, friends and colleagues. Ron spent most of his working life in the NHS specializing in developing/negotiating procurement contracts, which he was very good at. In April 1987 the Disablement Services Authority (the DSA was a special health authority, a forerunner of government agencies) was set up with a mission to transfer the Artificial Limb and Wheelchair service into the NHS from the Department of Health (DoH). The article will concentrate on the limb service. Ron, a Director of Procurement within the DSA, played an important role in the DSA successfully completing its mission on time (by the end of March 1991); which included transferring all the various resources, i.e., staff, budgets, facilities and equipment. Ron had the very difficult task of introducing new independent Prosthetic Service Companies into the limb industry as well as new limb hardware and prosthetic service contracts.
The DSA was instigated by Ministers because of the McColl Review of these services. There were no competitive limb contracts, only ‘cost plus contracts’ where the limb contractor was paid for all the work undertaken and a percentage of this total sum (agreed between the DoH and contractor) was added as profit. The limb industry was dominated by the BTR Group (Hanger, Vessa and Kellie) that had 79% of the business. The other limb contractors were Blatchford, Steeper (artificial arms only), Stubbs, and Cousins. Patients did not have access to all the limb components available throughout the world and there were restricted working practices.
Ron was always very well organized and carried a diary and pencil and if the job/task was noted in his diary, you knew it would be done. His minutes/memos to staff were often just one sentence and were clear and to the point. When meeting the contractors he would have a pre-meeting with his staff and cover all the points in detail; he had a set format for the agenda. The first few items had to be non-contentious, then the main items for discussion, followed by one or two general issues so that hopefully the meeting could finish on a friendly note.
On one occasion Chris Jones (formerly of Medical Devices Agenecy (MDA)) attended a meeting with Ron and the contractors' senior staff to agree their next year's component costs. It was a successful outcome and afterwards, sitting in Ron's car, Ron thanked Chris for attending the meeting, but Chris said “I did not say or do much”. Ron's reply was: “Because you were there, they did not pull the wool over my eyes, I know you would have spoken up”.
A shrewd and likeable man
After DSA, Ron joined Blatchford board of directors as a non-executive director and chairman of Chas A. Blatchford and Son. He recognized the importance of innovation in prosthetic and orthotic services and provision of effective products for disabled people. He was a man of great integrity.
Ron, like all good men, loved his family and enjoyed completing half marathons with his daughter. When he came in the office on Monday he would discuss the run with the staff. Ron's later years were focused around his family and the people of the small Hertfordshire village where he lived. He was dedicated to the work of the local church and community.
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