If you're selling to the NHS, understanding board papers vs minutes is critical. One reveals buying intent, the other confirms decisions. Here's when to use each in your sales pitch.
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Board papers are published before the meeting and reveal what the Trust is considering (buying intent, risks, budget proposals).
Board minutes are published after the meeting and confirm what was decided (approved budgets, actions, next steps).
→ For sales: Use board papers to find opportunities early. Use minutes to confirm decisions and track progress.
| Aspect | Board Papers | Board Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| When Published | Before the board meeting (5-7 days prior) | After the board meeting (2-4 weeks later) |
| Purpose | Present proposals, risks, and recommendations for board to consider | Record what was decided and approved |
| Length | 100-200 pages (includes detailed appendices) | 5-20 pages (summary of discussions) |
| Level of Detail | High detail: budget breakdowns, risk registers, project plans | Low detail: decisions made, actions assigned |
| What You Find | • Proposed budgets • Strategic risks • Procurement plans • Performance issues • Future initiatives | • Approved budgets • Decisions made • Actions assigned • Next steps • Deadlines |
| Sales Value | HIGH — reveals buying intent before competitors spot it | MEDIUM — confirms decisions and tracks progress |
| Best For | Finding new opportunities, understanding Trust priorities | Confirming approvals, tracking follow-up actions |
Board papers are comprehensive documents prepared by NHS Trust executives and submitted to the Trust Board for review before a scheduled board meeting. Think of them as the "agenda pack" — everything the board needs to make informed decisions.
Board papers reveal what the Trust is considering before decisions are made. You can engage while options are still open.
You get budget breakdowns, risk analysis, and strategic context — far more detail than minutes provide.
You can reference specific pages, quotes, and data points in your sales pitch, building instant credibility.
[Example extract from an NHS Foundation Trust Board Paper]
"The Trust Board is asked to approve a capital allocation of £2.4M for the Digital Pathology Programme. Current manual processes create bottlenecks in diagnostic workflows, with average turnaround times of 7 days. The proposed system would reduce this to 48 hours and improve patient outcomes."
For a digital pathology supplier: This board paper just handed you the budget (£2.4M), the pain point (7-day turnaround), the desired outcome (48 hours), and the meeting date. You can contact the decision-maker before the board meeting and influence the decision.
Board minutes are official records of what happened during the board meeting. They're published 2-4 weeks after the meeting and summarize: what was discussed, what was decided, who's responsible for actions, and what the deadlines are.
Minutes tell you what was approved. If the £2.4M digital pathology budget was approved, you know there's real money behind the initiative.
Action logs show who's doing what. If "Procurement to issue RFP by Q2" is in the minutes, you know the timeline.
Attendee lists show who was at the table when decisions were made. These are your key contacts.
[Example extract from NHS Foundation Trust Board Minutes]
"The Board approved the Digital Pathology Programme capital allocation of £2.4M. The Chief Digital Officer will work with Procurement to develop a business case and issue an RFP by Q2 2026. Action: CDO, Deadline: March 2026."
For a digital pathology supplier: The minutes confirm the budget was approved, identify the decision-maker (Chief Digital Officer), and give you the procurement timeline (RFP in Q2 2026). You now know when to engage.
Board papers are your early-warning system. Read them to identify:
→ Action: Contact decision-makers before the board meeting to influence the decision.
Minutes are your confirmation tool. Read them to verify:
→ Action: Use minutes to time your outreach and track deal progress.
Now you understand the difference. But here's the challenge: 300+ NHS Trusts publish both board papers AND minutes every month. That's 600+ documents per month to track manually.
Result: You can only track 5-10 Trusts. You miss 97% of opportunities.
Result: Track all 300+ Trusts. Never miss an opportunity.
Read board papers to find proposed budgets, strategic risks, and procurement plans. Identify opportunities early.
Use insights from board papers to reach out before decisions are made. Reference specific pages to build credibility.
After the board meeting, read the minutes to see if the budget was approved, who's responsible for next steps, and what the timeline is.
Use the action log in minutes to time your follow-up. If procurement is issuing an RFP in Q2, you know when to engage.
Board Paper Scraper automatically monitors 300+ NHS Trusts, reads both board papers and minutes, and alerts you when opportunities match your offer.
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Questions Everyone Asks
Frequently asked questions
Every insight links directly to the source PDF, with the exact page and section reference. You can click through, read the original text, and verify.
Trust but verify — we built that into the core of the product. If it can't cite it, it doesn't show it.
All data comes from publicly available NHS board papers and meeting minutes, published by Trusts on their websites for transparency. We monitor 300+ Trust websites and aggregate this public information automatically.
This is the same information you could find manually — we just save you hundreds of hours. No patient data, no confidential information, just published strategic documents.
We currently monitor 300+ NHS Trusts and ICBs. New board papers are detected and processed automatically. You don't need to check websites — we do that for you.
We surface decision-maker contact details including names, job titles, and email addresses where publicly available. No LinkedIn paywall. No waiting for connection requests.
Sales Directors, Pharma Reps, MedTech Business Development Managers, Construction Tender Teams, IT Services companies, Consultancies — anyone selling to the NHS who wants leads, not PDFs.
Try it free with 1 board paper analysis per month. No credit card required. Paid plans give you higher limits and team access.
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