Blakenall District Hospital (BDH) is a large hospital that is a major part of the...

Blakenall District Hospital (BDH) is a large hospital that is a major part of the government’s health service. Purchasing staff are in the habit of placing many long-term contracts with suppliers and sub-contractors. Whilst these contracts are usually carried out successfully, prices are often paid that are well over budget. The purchasing manager is concerned to find that, in some cases, members of staff are forcing suppliers to accept fixed price contracts. The policy hascaused several problems such as some suppliers refusing to deal with BDH and a few going out of business mid-way through performing a contract with BDH. This is due to fluctuating market prices of materials. The procurement manager suggests supplier to adopt variable pricing arrangement with price index. Is this a right course of action?