In an era of world class commisioning, healthcare commissioners are increasingly being asked to stimulate and manage a market, working with a much more mixed economy of service providers. Although this has long been a requirement in some public services (for example, some areas of local government), it is a relatively new challenge in the NHS. In addition to this, commissioning organisations are being tasked with securing greater procurement skills and demonstrating greater understanding of the principles of supply chain management, with many looking towards private sector sources of expertise. Against this background, this module draws on the healthcare experience of HSMC and the procurement/supply chain management/market management expertise of the Business School in order to respond to this agenda.