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 Spotlight Day (Monday, November 22)
In October 2020, the NHS became the world’s first health service to commit to reaching net zero carbon. Thanks to the efforts of staff across the NHS, we’re already making progress towards this ambitious goal. Across the NHS, we are developing more sustainable ways to deliver care, reduce waste, electrify transport, improve nutrition, and save energy - among many other areas.
The Greener NHS Estates and Facilities Spotlight Day aims to build support across the estates and facilities workforce for a Greener NHS, help staff discover the difference we’re making already – and encourage them to join in and act now for a Greener NHS.
The Estates and Facilities Spotlight Day takes place on Monday, November 22. The National NHS Estates and Facilities Team will be touring sites to showcase the amazing work that has taken place since the launch of the Delivering a Net Zero NHS report last year.
We will be providing a presentation for local teams to deliver at a time that suits them, introducing the new Estates Net Zero Carbon Delivery Plan, which sets out how estates and facilities staff can support our journey to net zero.
Use this link for more information including details of how to get involved.
The Estates Net Zero Carbon Delivery Plan can be accessed from the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub. For those non-NHS colleagues who are unable to be registered for the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub we have arranged access separately via an MS Teams site. Please contact: [email protected] marking for the attention of Alex Gambi if you require further information on access through this route.
FSA Listeriosis Guidance Survey
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is reviewing its guidance, Reducing the Risk of Vulnerable Groups Contracting Listeriosis (2016). To help the FSA develop a picture of the implementation of the guidance in NHS hospitals in England, they are requesting that managers with responsibility for food safety complete an online survey. This will be launched today, November 22, and will run until December 17. The survey is for managers with responsibility for food safety in NHS hospital Trusts.
The survey can be accessed here.
This review follows the listeriosis outbreak in 2019, which led to seven deaths, the corresponding Public Health England outbreak report and the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food. Local Authority food safety teams and other health and social settings are also being surveyed.
We are grateful to estates and facilities teams for your help and support with this.
Waste Management Standard Operating Procedure - Update
The Waste Management SOP has been updated recently and has been published on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website. This can be accessed here.
Performance of healthcare cryogenic liquid oxygen systems
Our document, 'Performance of healthcare cryogenic liquid oxygen systems', has now been formally published by NHS England and NHS Improvement. It replaces the version previously shared on the Collaboration Hub in June 2021. The document outlines the optimum supply and distribution systems to mitigate the effects of high oxygen flows, particularly during pandemic conditions. The document can be accessed here.
National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
A number of new documents have been shared on the Collaboration Hub which support the new cleaning standards which were published earlier this year. These include the star ratings in word format, a pictorial copy of responsibilities associated with cleaning schedules and frequencies, as well as a more user-friendly format of the efficacy audit for those without a digital provider.
Contract Management Capability Programme
Free online training courses are available in contract management and commercial training to upskill staff working in this area. The foundation level in contract management takes around 12 hours to complete, while Senior Responsible Officer training is offered via hosted online training sessions. NHS and Foundation Trusts with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts or other large /complex contracts within their estate are encouraged to put forward team members who are involved in management or monitoring. This can be booked via the Government Commercial College website. Further details are available on the NHS Collaboration Hub.
The Kickstart Scheme
Employers have until December 17, 2021 to apply for funding from the Kickstart Scheme. This is a government scheme that aims to create new six-month job placements for young people, aged 16–24 (including graduates) on Universal Credit, who are at risk of long-term unemployment. This is a great way to bring new talent into estates and facilities roles whilst creating new jobs for your area. Find out more from the Gov.uk website or get in touch with: [email protected].
Looking After You Too: Coaching support for BAME staff working in the NHS
One to one wellbeing coaching support is available for BAME colleagues in the NHS workforce. Talking to a trained coach can help manage difficult situations and help maintain your health and wellbeing. All coaching sessions are free and confidential – details will never be shared with employers. Use this link to book a session.
Dates for National Webinars
Please note the dates for the national webinars which have been scheduled as follows:
• November 25 - Instructing a Valuation and the NHS Ambassador Programme
• December 16 - 2020/21 ERIC
• January 27 - NHS Estates Facilities: Resilience.
These will all take place at 11am. If you would like to attend any of these webinars then please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].
NHS Estates and Facilities Team – Monthly Bulletin
The second edition of the monthly Estates and Facilities newsletter was issued on November 8. This provides the latest updates directly from NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Estates and Facilities Team including the latest guidance, health technical memoranda and policy developments affecting your work, as well as celebrating the successes of the wider E&F community. NHS staff can register to receive future editions of the newsletter.
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.
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.
You can also see the latest updates from the NHS Estates and Facilities Team by following our LinkedIn page.
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.
