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.
Hospital Car Parking: Data Collection
Thanks to those estates and facilities teams which have returned the spreadsheets for their respective organisations. We will be reviewing these returns and will get back in touch in case of any further queries. The deadline for the return of this information is June 7, 2021 and this should be sent to: [email protected].
This information is extremely important to us as it will help to provide assurance around delivery of the Government’s commitment to making hospital car parking free for the four key groups covered by this commitment.
Those responsible for hospital car parking in estates and facilities teams will wish to assure themselves that action is in hand to complete the spreadsheet. Please also note that this request only relates to acute and mental health Trusts.
Local Authority Concessionary Car Parking
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has revised its guidance regarding the offer of free on-street and off-street car parking in local authority car parks to all NHS staff members, health or social care workers, and NHS Volunteer Responders during the COVID-19 emergency response. The emergency parking pass guidance will be withdrawn by June 21, 2021. More information available here.
NHS England and NHS Improvement Website: Dedicated Estates and Facilities Page
There is now a dedicated page on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website.
NHS Premises Assurance Model (PAM)
As set out in the NHS Standard Contract (Service Conditions 17.9) completion of the NHS PAM is required by all NHS Trusts annually. Previously this has been provided as a spreadsheet.
From 2020-21 onwards, a new online system has been developed to support this. The national NHS Estates and Facilities Team has recently e-mailed invitations and guidance to the lead contacts at NHS Trusts to access the system. All NHS provider Trusts must complete their NHS PAM by July 23, 2021.
National webinars based around Trust sectors have been scheduled for the following dates:
• June 8, (11:45am) - Acute
• June 10, (2pm) - Mental health and Community
• June 10, (11am) - Acute
• June 16, (11am) - Ambulance
Invitations are being sent to those individuals who have already asked to attend or have requested access to the online version. The sessions have also been advertised on the NHS Estates Team Collaboration Hub which includes the links where you can register direct. These can be found in the key events section on the scheduled dates.
If you have any questions and feedback on the NHS PAM please e-mail: [email protected] and mark for the attention of Michael Bellas.
National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
Further national webinars on the recently published guidance have been scheduled as follows:
• June 14, 12:30-14:00 - NHS National Standards of Cleaning Webinar: Implementation and Governance
• June 18, 9:30-10:30 - NHS National Standards of Cleaning Webinar: Risk & Responsibilities
• June 23, 14:00-15:30 - National Standards of Cleaning Webinar: ‘Living and Breathing the National Standards in the NHS’
Invitations have already been issued. However, if you would like to attend you can still register directly via the links in the key events section of the Collaboration Hub.
If you have any questions or feedback on the new guidance then please e-mail: [email protected] and mark for the attention of Emma Brookes.
Supporting staff to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme
Directors of Estates and Facilities and their teams will wish to be aware of the key message concerning the EU Settlement Scheme which was issued via the NHS England and NHS Improvement Leaders Bulletin on May 21, 2021.
“The NHS has always benefited from committed, and talented health staff both trained here in Britain and those who have chosen to work here from abroad. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens form an integral and vital part of the health and care family, and your skills and compassionate care directly benefit patients, families and communities."
There are less than 50 days left to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, which is open to all EU, EEA and Swiss citizens in the UK until June 30, 2021. The Settlement Scheme will allow EU, EEA and Swiss citizens to continue to live and work in the UK beyond June 2021, meaning they will not need to apply for visas when the new immigration system takes effect. The scheme will also lock in the rights of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, meaning they will be able to access healthcare, benefits and other government services in the same way they currently do, further details on what people will get from the scheme are available here.
It is important to remember that an application must be made for every eligible child within a family. Parents should check if they need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for their children, even if they have already applied and been granted a status themselves.
If an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and their family members have lived in the UK for many years or have a permanent residence document or EEA Biometric Residence Card (BRC), they still need to apply to the EUSS (or apply for British citizenship) by June 30, 2021 to continue to live and work in the UK.
For further support, see NHS Employers’ recent toolkit ‘Preparing for the EU Settlement Scheme application deadline’. You can also find the Home Office ‘EU Settlement scheme: introduction for employers’ toolkit here.”
NHS Estates and Facilities: Workforce/Apprenticeships Event
Fiona Daly, National Sustainability and Workforce Lead is hosting this apprenticeship employer engagement webinar on July 12, 2021 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. As you know, NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently developing the National Estates and Facilities Workforce Action Plan. As part of this process, and in collaboration with Health Education England (HEE), NHSE/I wants to see a strong focus on the learning and skills development of the current and future workforce. A significant aspect of this is to drive the uptake of apprenticeship opportunities and the utilisation of the apprenticeship funding within estates and facilities.
This event will cover all aspects relative to the development of apprenticeships for new and existing staff at all levels within estates and facilities. It will include information on funding, developing career pathways, new opportunities, and procuring the skills and talents required for the workforce of today and the future.
Use this link to register your interest and book a place at this event. It is open to all so this invitation can be shared as widely as possible. Even if you are unable to attend, you will still be contacted so that you can contribute to the estates and facilities skills needs assessment which will follow this event.
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]
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. The service could not function without you.
