Below are this week’s key messages from the national NHS Estates & Facilities Team. Please email any questions or comments you have on any of these items to [email protected] or follow the links where provided.
Estates and Facilities Online Forum
We are aiming to share the links to the individual sessions from the online forum which took place on March 16. These will be shared once we have the necessary agreement from those who spoke at this event via this weekly update and online.
Our thanks once again to all those who attended and took part. The feedback has been really positive and we look forward to planning future events of this nature.
Expert Hospital Food Panel – final call for you to get involved
NHS England and NHS Improvement is looking for a group of dynamic individuals with a real passion for food to support the delivery of excellent patient care. Following publication of the Secretary of State’s Independent Hospital Food Review in 2020 it was announced that an expert panel would be created to progress and monitor the recommendations of the review.
We have already seen incredible interest in this opportunity, please register your interest now if you would like to be considered.
Please visit NHS England » Expert hospital food panel for more details on how to apply before 5pm on Friday, March 26, 2021.
NHS Hospital Car Parking
Julian Kelly, Chief Finance Officer at NHS England and NHS Improvement, wrote to the NHS on March 23, 2021. This has been cascaded to Chief Finance Officers and Directors of Finance at NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts as well as Regional Directors and Regional Directors of Finance.
The letter confirms the continuing commitment to free hospital car parking for staff during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It also outlines the Government’s commitment to provide free hospital car parking to those in greatest need as well as setting out the definitions for those who will be covered by this commitment.
NHS Estates and Facilities Teams will wish to be aware of this latest communication on this issue. Any queries on this should be sent to [email protected] marked for the attention of Michael Bellas and Gill Donachie.
Please follow the national NHS Estates and Infrastructure team on twitter @EstatesNHS
COVID-19: General Update and the National Vaccination Programme
We would like to thank you for your continued engagement with the weekly surveys to date. The responses are really important in helping NHS England and NHS Improvement as an organisation to shape how we engage with our healthcare workforce.
Here's the link to this week’s survey and again we would be grateful for your responses. The survey will take less than five minutes to complete.
While the situation continues to improve, it remains as important as ever for those healthcare workers who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of patients, to remain safe themselves. This is especially applicable to the estates and facilities profession. Please continue to make use of the resource materials which are available now for use by estates and facilities teams to encourage staff vaccination take-up. These can be accessed from the Collaboration Hub.
National Webinars
The next national webinar on Backlog Maintenance and ERIC reporting will take place on March 24 at 11:30am.
Invitations have already been sent to estates and facilities directors/teams. However, if you would like further information or to request an invitation then please e-mail [email protected] marking for the attention of Linda Hood and Tom McHugh.
Virtual Contract Management Network Event
The DHSC Commercial Capability and Supplier Management Team is holding a Virtual Contract Management Network Event. It will feature talks on the latest commercial activities in the health family, provide commercial updates, learning and help build a network of contract managers.
This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone involved in contract management to better understand the commercial skills and capabilities that are available across the health family. This invitation is extended to estates and facilities teams. It would be great for local NHS teams to be well represented at this event.
The virtual event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 31 from 1pm to 4pm. If you are interested please keep this time free and contact [email protected] for further information, or to request inclusion on the invitation list.
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]
Thank You
Our thanks to all of those working in estates and facilities for all that you in maintaining the NHS estate, facilitating patient care as well as supporting the response to the current pandemic. The service could not function without you.
