15 minute read
Facilities Management
from Health Business 22.5
by PSI Media
Procuring hard FM services
The North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative has a free-to-access Hard FM Framework known as Estates, Maintenance and Engineering Services (Hard FM) (NOE.0289)
NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (NOE CPC) is wholly owned by the NHS and provides collaborative and bespoke procurement solutions for the NHS and other public sector organisations. Through category expertise and harnessing its collective buying power, NOE CPC aims to deliver comprehensive, compliant and innovative procurement solutions which save the NHS money.
Specialist services
The framework enables contracting authorities to procure specialist services such as asbestos removal, air conditioning, electrical works, fire risk assessments and water system maintenance and has been designed to help NHS trusts and public sector organisations successfully manage their estate requirements.
The framework enables users to address maintenance backlogs and set up Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programmes to reduce the breakdown of equipment and increase operational efficiencies.
Developed for the NHS
It has been specifically developed for the NHS and the healthcare sector’s FM requirements, utilising input and expertise from NHS stakeholders, so the needs of the NHS have been taken into account.
The framework offers an efficient, FTScompliant process. A detailed procurement exercise has been carried out, ensuring that suppliers meet all legislative requirements; suppliers are prequalified, which saves valuable time and money in the procurement process.
NOE CPC’s procurement team meets regularly with suppliers to ensure that the products and services they provide are compliant with its policies and guidelines. These meetings also enable the sharing of knowledge, expertise and market innovation and offer the opportunity to look for further ways to improve collaboration for the benefit of the customers.
Benefits
The framework offers several other benefits including a fully managed service, which offers the option to award one supplier to perform all services offered within the scope of the Framework Agreement or two or more services.
Direct Award is a key component of the framework, meaning Participating Authorities have the ability to choose in certain circumstances to award to a specific supplier from within the agreement, without going through a long procurement process, provided this is in accordance with the procurement regulations.
The framework has a Measured Terms Contract (MTC) option available for reactive and planned maintenance of buildings, and electrical and mechanical works.
Pricing
Pricing is capped during the framework, to support budgeting and calculation of benefits realised by
Participating Authorities.
Mini-competitions can be undertaken to meet the bespoke requirement of each customer and are encouraged to support the delivery of best value to participating authorities.
The framework offers a mix of suppliers including large national providers, as well as a number of regional SMEs currently utilised by the NHS to be more reactive to local needs. The agreement offers NHS organisations the option of using locally based suppliers with demonstratable experience of working in the healthcare environment and membership of professional bodies. Bradford Teaching Hospitals used the framework to appoint a provider under Lot 12 for fire risk assessments. Wendy Stanley, estates administrator at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I would definitely recommend NOE CPC to other trusts. They have always provided a reliable service and the teams are very knowledgeable about their categories.
They are always available to support us with any issues we encounter and guidance on procurement matters and we have benefitted hugely from working with NOE CPC.” L
https://www.noecpc.nhs.uk/ contracts/estates-maintenance-andengineering-services-hard-fm
Event Preview Addressing the maintenance backlog in NHS estates and across the public sector
The NHS has one of the largest property portfolios of any organisation in the world. In England alone, it owns more than 130,000 buildings with a combined floor space of approximately 42 billion sq ft. The maintenance backlog is a growing problem for all public service organisations
In the NHS, it’s estimated that there is a £5 billion shortfall in maintenance spending across trusts and primary care sites. These facilities are continuing to age and new challenges have been created by the emergence of digital technology. The maintenance and estate issues that are plagued by the NHS are not unique to the organisation as many buildings across the public estate are facing similar challenges.
Estates Strategies across Government & the NHS
The NHS Estates Strategy is the centrepiece of NHS England’s approach to facilities management and the operation of the estate. The strategy outlines the role of the NHS in the delivery of its buildings and infrastructure, and how the different partners work together. The strategy, which is implemented across England, is a response to the challenges posed to the NHS by the rising number of people, the ageing population, and the growth in digital technology. The government recently announced their 2022-2030 property strategy which looks at how to create a more efficient, effective, and sustainable public estate. The strategy outlined three missions including: transforming places and services, a smaller, better and greener public estate and improving professional excellence and insight. Both strategies are designed to support an NHS and public estate that is fit for the future, and to be the blueprint for how organisations will operate their estate.
Smart Building Frameworks
Smart Buildings refer to buildings that are designed, built, operated and connected in order to reduce the cost of operations, minimise the risk of disruption, and lower carbon emissions. NHS England has been working with the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS Trust Development Authority, NHS Improvement, the Health and Safety Executive and others to develop the NHS Smart Building Framework. This is a set of objectives that will be used to drive forward the transformation of the health estate into smarter buildings that will deliver these benefits. The framework will be used to assess and award buildings that are designed to meet the highest standards in terms of performance, health, safety and sustainability. These will then be used as a model for the transformation of the health estate. The framework includes a set of 25 health, safety, and sustainability outcomes for buildings, 10 service delivery objectives, and five design and construction objectives. Smart Buildings are not only being trialled at the NHS but across the public sector, the Crown Commercial Service, a strategic partner at Smart 2022, has dedicated Smart solutions frameworks to help organisations make the transition.
Sustainable Design and Facilities Management
Sustainable design and construction – as well as operation, maintenance, and decommissioning – is at the heart of the NHS estates strategy. It is important, as this will ensure that assets are fit for the future with a longer lifecycle, as well as reduce the energy required to provide the same level of services. Healthcare facilities are complex and interdependent environments, and they need to be designed and managed according to the specific needs of the healthcare setting.
However, it is important to understand that sustainable design is not merely an aesthetic choice. Sustainable design practices are a means of reducing costs and improving efficiency and performance, whilst also reducing the environmental impact of NHS facilities. The adoption of sustainable design and building practices can be expected to have a significant impact on the maintenance backlog, as well as future performance, operations, and sustainability of NHS facilities.
Digitalisation in Facilities Management
Whilst sustainable design will directly impact upon the maintenance backlog, the emergence of digital technology heralds a new wave of challenges and opportunities in NHS Facilities Management. As the NHS has already committed to reducing the amount of CO2 produced by its activities, it is therefore developing strategies and targets of how it will reduce the amount of electricity it uses. One of the key methods to reduce the amount of electricity being used is by increasing the energy efficiency of the buildings that house vital equipment and assets. For example, the rise of smart meters in electrical infrastructure has created new opportunities to improve energy efficiency. As a large institution, the NHS is uniquely positioned to demonstrate leadership on this issue. It can show the rest of the world how to reduce the amount of CO2 produced by electricity and set an example of how important it is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Another conversation that spans across the entire public sector is the use of PropTech and how this can aid with property performance to reduce costs and reach sustainability targets. It can help with analysis for smarter decisions and modernising property management. This engaging conversation at Smart 2022 will feature Christopher King of NHS Property Services, to share not only what the NHS is doing, but understand what else is available and already utilised across other sectors.
CAD/CIM - Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing are essential tools for developing and managing the design process of a building. It allows engineers to design the building in a virtual environment and identify and address any potential issues with the building before construction begins. This will ensure that the finished building will be fit for purpose and meet the specific requirements of the health service with regards to design, functionality, and energy efficiency. BIM - Building Information Modelling is another key tool for managing and
maintaining the estate. BIM can be used to manage all aspects of the design, supply chain, construction, commissioning, and lifecycle of the building. It will also enable better collaboration, as all the stakeholders can share the same information about the building online and use the tools available to check and amend the information.
The adoption of digital technology in NHS facilities and across the public sector will require careful management, as the integration of innovative technologies can be challenging, and responsible interoperability is essential. However, the adoption of digital technology in facilities management offers a significant opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce costs and create better working environments for staff.
NHS Estates Workforce and Facilities 10-Year Action Plan
In addition to managing the backlog of maintenance work, the NHS and other public sector organisations also have a significant challenge in recruiting enough staff to manage the high-level operational requirements of the estate. This is particularly true in relation to facilities management. NHS England recently published a 10-year plan to accelerate the transformation of the facilities management function across the health estate. The 10-year plan aims to increase the number of facilities managers in the NHS from 10,000 to 25,000. This will be achieved through a combination of recruiting new staff, changing working practices and increasing productivity.
The NHS estates strategy is designed to address the challenges posed to the NHS by the rising number of people, the ageing population, and the growth in digital technology. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out its strategy for managing and investing in the health estate over the next 10 to 15 years. The NHS is not alone in feeling the pressures in estate and facilities management, asset and estate managers across the entire public sector are facing challenging goals and pressures to meet targets and decrease backlogs. At Smart Estates we feature a stream looking at the facilities management backlog, where you can gain cross-government department learnings. Our panellists will discuss ways of improving efficiency, building a more productive workforce, and ‘building back better’.
Learn more about the NHS Estate and the Public Estate at the Smart Asset & Estate Management Conference on 8th December at the prestigious QEII Centre, London. Smart 2022 is the ideal place for all public sector property professionals to get the latest policy updates and discover new initiatives around estate management, sustainable buildings, smarter working, and the technology that enables them. The conference boasts an agenda packed with case studies, expert insight and inspiring practical takeaways that will help you accelerate change.
Our interactive session formats enable you to network with likeminded peers, share resources and rethink estates & property management in the digital age. Speakers confirmed include Christopher King, NHS Open Space Lead and Principal Strategic Asset Manager at NHS Property Services; Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer at Office for Government Property; Louisa LeRoux, Net Zero Programme Manager at Government Property Agency; Angela Harrowing, Deputy Director, Property Programme at the Cabinet Office; Dr Janet Young, Government Head of Property Profession at Office of Government Property. Tickets are available now, public sector members get an exclusive 30% discount, using code: SMARTPSI30 register your place today. L
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Advertisement Feature Future proofing the NHS estate
In 2019, the health and social care secretary at the time, the Rt Hon Matt Hancock, announced the launch of the Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) – a large-scale regeneration plan of more than 40 hospital building projects to transform the NHS estate. The overarching aim of the plan is to develop a “robust infrastructure for the NHS to deliver care”
With a vision to develop a more modern and efficient NHS infrastructure, part of the HIP plan included a new hospital building programme – a £2.8 billion investment, later increased to £3.7 billion, apportioned to a selection of hospitals to transform estates and facilities.
One area of focus centres on the digitisation of building infrastructure to enable greater management of the estate, but to make this viable for all, processes and build plans need to be standardised in order to drive development. One way this can be supported is by the implementation of GS1 Global Location Numbers (GLNs).
GLNs enable the unique identification of any locations across the NHS estate. These include locations from the highest level, such as whole NHS organisations, down to lower levels such as a ward, bed bay, or even a particular shelf.
The benefits of using GLNs A GLN is more than just a number. It is the data that is the key, and this is where the advantages are gleaned.
The benefits of implementing GLNs are three-fold: easier differentiation between locations, greater traceability of products and assets, and improved patient management.
By attributing these unique identifiers to every location it becomes easier to distinguish separate organisations within an Integrated Care System (ICS) from one another, or to better identify individual sites that make up an NHS trust.
One, this will enable vital medical equipment to be tracked directly to storage locations or points of use to allow for more efficient resource planning and asset management, preventing delays to patient care. Equipment can then be located quickly and sourced for use as and when needed, ensuring it is in the right place, at the right time, every time, and two, patient management.
With an appropriate patient identifier (such as a GS1 barcoded patient wristband) in place, GLNs can be used to help to monitor a patient’s movement throughout a site. Doing so would provide an accurate picture of where a particular patient has been – particularly important for infection prevention and minimising spread. Sites that are at risk can be swiftly identified and appropriate measures taken to minimise risks to patients and staff.
GLNs in practice across the estate
In context, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has more than 26,000 rooms which have been updated with a GLN locator. These are added into their property register (or estates management system) with each GLN allocated so they can be managed and tracked centrally. The GLN information is then shared via the national NHS GLN registry, LocationManager so details can be communicated with suppliers to manage deliveries into goods in bays.
The trust has also implemented GLN extensions to scan to bed level, in order to understand where patient beds are. The GLN extensions are printed onto plaques and allocated to each bed space.
The GS1 patient wristband is scanned to positively identify the patient before the wall plaque is scanned to capture the location information. It is then updated in the electronic patient record (EPR). This updates the patient administration system (PAS) and the ward’s electronic whiteboard so staff can efficiently track where the patient has been. During the pandemic, this had particular benefits when it came to infection monitoring and prevention.
If a patient moves beds, or is transferred to another ward or location, it updates in real time each time the new GLN is scanned. This makes it much easier to identify which beds are occupied to facilitate bed allocation planning and speeds up the transfer process preventing any delay to patient care.
The wider impact on patients and staff
During the pandemic, the visibility of available inventory and assets across NHS estates heightened the wider system’s traceability challenges. Many trusts found difficulty tracking where vital products or equipment were located. However, for those using GS1 standards, this process became simpler.
For University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, using GS1 standards was instrumental in helping to manage supplies and resources during the pandemic – supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the supply of consumables required on the intensive care unit. Head of supply chain and e-procurement, Peter Sewell explains, “We receive an item, we scan it in, and then as we consume it we scan it out. We can look at how much PPE we’ve got, how much we’ve used, and how many days’ worth of stock we’ve got left. We went from 35 ICU beds to 250, so we created 10 extra ICU locations. But because we had an ICU that was already barcoded, we just replicated that in all those other 10 locations.” Senior IM&T procurement manager and lead for Scan4Safety at the trust, Richard Price, added, “Using GS1 standards has given us the visibility we needed over our stock and our equipment. This has made a real difference throughout the pandemic so we can spend less time looking for items and counting stock, and more time where it is needed most.”
GLNs as a critical part of the future NHS infrastructure
Making GLNs a critical part of NHS infrastructure has the potential to drastically improve both efficiency and patient safety. Not only do they streamline purchase to pay (P2P) processes to make procurement more efficient for all stakeholders, when used in tandem with unique product identifiers such as GS1 Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs), they also facilitate e-procurement to ensure the right products are available whenever and wherever they are needed. Products can then be seamlessly tracked and traced from the point of manufacture or supply, through to the appropriate delivery location, point of care, or point of use to enable end-to-end product traceability.
Staff can quickly and easily scan GLN barcodes to track where products are delivered to or where care is administered. This enables them to manage their inventory far more efficiently, saving time and money, while developing a clearer picture of the patient pathway. The ability to identify every location across NHS trusts provides certainty, not only regarding what was delivered and where, but also in the identification and removal of recalled products and the truth of who did what to who – when, where and why. L
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