NHS trusts across England, including those in East Lancashire, have saved £288 million in the last financial year by securing the best deals for bulk buy items - including £106,000 on loo rolls after 184 trusts joined together to purchase them from one supplier.

Other savings include £824,000 on couch rolls after 227 trusts clubbed together to buy them from one supplier, and a £164,000 saving on temporary shoes by 141 trusts.

More cash has been saved on essentials such as syringes and disposable gloves, with the money saved reinvested into other services and equipment.

The progress is thanks to trusts now being able to compare how much their neighbours have paid for commonly purchased items so they can negotiate the best deals with suppliers, as well as clubbing together on some orders and buying in bulk.

NHS Improvement oversees a price comparison tool that allows trusts to view the most expensive and cheapest options for more than a million products.

It also sets a benchmark for each product to help trusts avoid paying more than they need to.

One trust has saved £150,000 in the first month of using the tool, after seeing that others were paying less for exactly the same product - implanted cardiac defibrillators - and it gave them the evidence they needed to renegotiate the price with their supplier.

Another saved £150,000 in the first month after it helped them get a better deal on prosthesis.