NHS Estates and Facilities Management Weekly Update

NEWS
COMMENTS 0

COVID-19: Updated PHE Guidance on NHS Staff & Student Self-isolation and Return to Work following C19 Contact 

Please see the link below to a joint letter from Prerana Issar, Ruth May and Nikki Kanani about the updated guidance from Public Health England for NHS staff and student self-isolation following COVID-19 contact:

Coronavirus » Updated PHE guidance on NHS staff and student self-isolation and return to work following COVID-19 contact (england.nhs.uk)

This follows the change in arrangements which came into effect on August 16. The national Estates and Facilities Team has helped to shape this letter so it would be appreciated if this could be brought to the attention of estates and facilities staff, also including those colleagues employed by third parties.

 

The NHS Great Food Programme for Culinary and Kitchen Teams

Great news - the deadline for applications to the Great Food Programme has been extended.

We understand that it continues to be a busy time of the year for catering teams due to operational requirements, self-isolating and school holidays. Therefore, we are delighted to announce that applications for the Great Food Programme have been extended until September 14, 2021. This provides more time to gather your nominations for the programme.

This is a fantastic opportunity to upskill your chefs giving them the core skills in reducing wastage, plant-based cooking and menu specifications. And the best bit? This is fully funded by your Trust’s apprenticeship levy.

For all questions or to discuss this further, please contact: [email protected] or if you would like to nominate your team members, the application link is HERE.

 

NHS Chef 2021

The regional heats for the competition are progressing well with the remaining events concluding with the South West (September 7) and London (September 14) heats. We continue to be extremely impressed with the skills evidenced by the competing teams and not forgetting the excellent quality of food produced. 

A mentoring event will be held from September 28 – 30 at the MKN Office and Presentation Kitchen in Cannock. This will allow the winning team from each regional heat to network, attend practical sessions to help develop their entries for the finals and to work with their mentors. The final will be held between October 25 and November 5 at The Cooking School in Warminster. 

The idea for a new award that celebrates NHS chefs was put forward in the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food published in October 2020. It was part of a range of recommendations to support and develop hospital chefs. We are extremely grateful to all those who have applied to take part and to their estates and facilities teams for supporting them.

We will of course update more fully following the conclusion of the final regional heat. 

 

The Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is calling for employers to participate in apprenticeship achievement research 

The Employer Engagement & Performance Division (part of the Apprenticeships Directorate in ESFA) is conducting research into apprenticeship achievements with a focus on standards currently experiencing a high level of withdrawals. These are as follows:

• Adult Care Worker 

• Installation Electrician and Maintenance Electrician 

• Lead Adult Care Worker 

• Senior Leader 

If you employ apprentices on a standard/s recognised as having a high withdrawal rate, they are keen to hear your views. They would like to invite you to a focus group on September 9 (1 – 2pm). A list of questions focused on each of these areas can be found here: Withdrawals from apprenticeships survey. It would be appreciated if you could consider your responses ahead of the focus group meeting or, alternatively, to complete and submit responses by COP on September 9. If you are able to attend the focus group, please confirm your interest and details on this form by midday on Tuesday, September 7.

From an estates and facilities perspective we are really keen to understand why apprentice electricians are withdrawing from the service. Please visit the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub (latest news and workforce areas) for further information.

 

Procure23 Framework launches to the Market an P22 Extension Confirmed

The ProCure23 Prior Information Notice (PIN) was recently launched to market, with formal procurement to follow.

ProCure23 (P23), formerly known as P2020, enables NHS clients to access experienced and proficient partners to support across all aspects of NHS capital project delivery. P23 builds on the successes of three previous iterations of the ProCure framework that have delivered over £10 billion of projects for the NHS. The framework has been updated to better reflect the changing needs of the NHS, to prioritise pandemic recovery and acknowledge the other infrastructure and ongoing capital projects.

From business case development/approval, sustainability, design and construction to disruption mitigation, benefit realisation and optimised occupation, the updated framework will provide more flexibility for contractors and bring the latest best practice in construction methods, modern methods of construction and digital infrastructure to the NHS.

With climate change at the forefront of the global discussion, P23 focuses on delivering greener facilities, reducing carbon emissions throughout the process and promoting social value. Through updates on the NHS Futures Collaboration Hub, our LinkedIn page and the upcoming Estates and Facilities monthly newsletter, the team will endeavour to provide updates and developments on the framework and its progress.

For the first time as part of the ProCure structure, the lower value lot (<£20m) will be split into the seven NHS England and NHS Improvement geographical regions. This is intended to open the framework to suitable regional and medium-sized contractors, enhance capacity and increase local backing for projects.   

There are three lots available, including the addition of regional lots for the first time:

• Lot 1: Regional lots (new) - £0m-£19.99m

• Lot 2: National lot - £20m-£69.99m

• Lot 3: National lot - £70m+

In addition to the benefits to the NHS, P23 offers a multitude of benefits to suppliers and contractors. P23 represents industry best practice and as with previous frameworks, there is a commitment to partnerships, establishing long-term relationships which benefit our NHS and the contractors involved. Collaborative working and integrated supply chains are at the heart of P23.

An invitation to tender will be published in the near future and we will also be communicating further for offers of support with the evaluation process.

 

Extension of P22 framework

NHS England and NHS Improvement has also confirmed that the existing ProCure22 (P22) framework will be extended until  June 30, 2022. This is to enable continuity of design and construction services via P22 for the NHS until its successor framework, ProCure23 (P23), becomes available for use by NHS clients.

 

National Webinar - Fire Update

On September 8 at 11am there will be an hour of presentations followed by a Q&A session which will include topics such as; the recent fire at the Trafford General Hospital, the latest on the Building Safety Bill, and an update on HTM 05 (Fire Safety in Healthcare) as well as other topics. The webinar will be compered by Peter Aldridge, Head of Fire, Security and Corporate Affairs at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as well as being the Secretary to the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers.

For information on the webinar including attendance please e-mail: [email protected]

 

National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness – rescheduled national webinar

Due to high levels of annual leave the next scheduled webinar; ‘Living and Breathing the National Standards in the NHS’, will now take place on October 20 at 10am. Invitations have already been issued. However, if you would like to attend you can still register directly via the link in the key events section of the Collaboration Hub.

Recordings of the recent webinars on: Audit; Implementation and governance; and Risk categories and blended areas are available via the Collaboration Hub.

 

National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness – additional cleanliness charters

There are updated cleanliness charters which are now available from both the Collaboration Hub as well as the estates area of the NHS England and NHS Improvement website.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/our-commitment-to-cleanliness/

These relate to FR2 (treatment rooms where invasive treatments take place), FR4 (treatment rooms where non-invasive treatments take place) and FR6 (offices, medical records and education training centres). These are additional documents to support primary care organisations to adopt the recently published National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness.

 

Linen and Laundry Supplies

As a result of continuous pressures on suppliers arising from both EU Exit and the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS Trust staff are asked to review their local practices to avoid the creation of additional laundry volumes and charges. Revisions to local policies around changing bed linen and best practice, for example, may have been introduced and should be followed. This is essential if there is to be a collective responsibility for all sites to have consistent safe practices across healthcare.

For those NHS Trusts using reusable PPE gowns in fluctuating volumes, please maintain contact with your linen and laundry supplier in the coming months to manage ordering of gowns and shelf stock. This will become even more important as we approach the busier winter period.  

Please e-mail: [email protected] in the event of any queries or if any further information is required and mark for the attention of Louise Hatwell.

 

PLACE

In 2020 a decision was taken to suspend the full PLACE programme due to the operational difficulties and associated risks brought about by COVID-19.  PLACE-Lite remained open for healthcare organisations to undertake assessments if they chose to do so. It was great to hear that a number of organisations did run PLACE-Lite and used the results to continue making improvements to the environment for the benefit of patients.  

We had hoped to reinstate the full PLACE programme this year. However, in light of the continuing uncertainties that remain with COVID-19 we recognise that to do so could be extremely challenging. We have taken the difficult decision to suspend the full programme for a second year and to encourage the use of PLACE Lite instead. In order to provide as much support as possible we will be producing a stand-alone PLACE-Lite guidance document and encouraging take-up of PLACE-Lite through additional communications and engagement in the coming weeks and months. It is our expectation that all documents and any necessary system updates will be complete and ready for use in September. We do not anticipate a great deal of change to the current assessment forms, but we will confirm any changes that are made.

It is recommended to conduct assessments in line with PLACE processes as far as possible, and current guidance is available here.

Please watch out for further details on the dedicated PLACE-lite guidance when it becomes available in the next few weeks. 

In the meantime, we have arranged a national webinar which will take place on September 30 at 11am. The webinar will cover what this means for your organisation, the forms and guidance notes available, how it will work, what planning you will need to do, who to involve and what to cover in your assessments. Colleagues from both the national Estates and Facilities Team and NHS Digital will take you through the EFM system, explain the results that will be available to you and how to use the PLACE mobile option. 

To attend the event please click on the link at the appropriate time: 

PLACE Webinar - click on this link on 30 September 2021 @1100-1230hrs

You do not need an invite in your diary to attend

 

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare: The NHS Forest – Tree Offer

The NHS Forest, run by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, is a good practice network for NHS sites looking to develop their green spaces for environmental care and human wellbeing. The network of over 200 sites across the UK has already planted over 77,000 trees. NHS Trusts/sites can contact the NHS Forest for free native British broadleaf saplings to plant on their land in the next tree planting season, starting in November 2021.

Sites can request between 10 and 1,000 trees. The NHS Forest can also provide assistance and guidance with the whole process from species selection, planting protocol, and any press releases or volunteer events. For more information, please contact Miriam, the NHS Forest co-ordinator ([email protected]) or to find out more about its work and to join the network please go to: https://www.nhsforest.org

 

Twitter 

Please follow the national NHS Estates and Infrastructure team on twitter @EstatesNHS

 

NHS England and NHS Improvement National Estates Team: Collaboration Hub

The Collaboration Hub is a protected space for local NHS estates and facilities teams to access key information as well as to collaborate and to share ideas and successes. Access to the Collaboration Hub for individuals from local NHS estates teams can be arranged by e-mailing: [email protected] 

We have been arranging “overview and masterclasses” to help registered members understand and navigate the Hub more effectively. These have taken place on an ad hoc basis to date. However, following the very positive feedback we are now looking to formalise these on a more regular basis. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions (they last approximately 30 minutes) then please e-mail the above mailbox and Joy Heaps and Stuart Robinson will follow up directly.

Could we also request that if you have not logged onto the Hub recently then you do so as soon as possible. As part of our governance procedures we are currently undertaking an exercise to review those members who according to our records have not accessed the Hub during the past 12 months. We are contacting those members and it is possible that membership will be withdrawn if there is no response to the e-mails which have been sent (by Stuart Robinson). In addition, if your e-mail address has changed over the past year (perhaps to .nhs.net), or you have moved to another NHS trust then please e-mail us with the details ([email protected]) so that we can update our records. 

 

Thank You

Our thanks to all of those working in estates and facilities for all that you do in maintaining the NHS estate, facilitating patient care as well as supporting the ongoing response to COVID-19. 

Please continue to stay safe and access the support material available on the Collaboration Hub. The service could not function without you.



Have Your Say

There are currently no comments for this article