NHS Premises Assurance Model - Update
The updated NHS PAM was published on August 1, 2022 and can be accessed here.
Usage of the full NHS PAM is mandatory as set out in the NHS Standard Contract Service Conditions. The NHS PAM is completed through an online system. The deadline for its completion for 2021-22 is September 9, 2022.
A national webinar took place on August 22 which provided an overview of the new version. If you missed this session, or would like view it again, then it can accessed on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC)
The validation process for the 2021/22 data is continuing. However, the deadline for this to be completed is September 5. Colleagues from NHS Digital will have been contacting ERIC leads at those NHS Trusts where there are queries about aspects of the data which has been submitted. Please ensure that if NHS Digital contacts your organisation then you review the information as requested and respond in a timely manner to support the deadline. This is extremely important in order to support the process for publication, including the timetable.
Get ready for the national PLACE Programme
NHS Digital has recently confirmed the dates for the 2022 PLACE collection. This will run for 10 weeks from September 5 until November 11, 2022. We ran two national webinars recently which provided an overview of PLACE, useful information about the process including the timetable, and a demonstration of PLACE mobile. If you missed these, or want to watch again, recordings of the webinars can be viewed on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
Workforce: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
The equality and inclusion team at NHS England is developing a workforce equality, diversity and inclusion strategy which aims to address existing disparities across the NHS workforce.
In the coming months, NHS England will be engaging with stakeholders, NHS employing organisations, professional groups and the workforce to ensure everyone has a voice in the changes and improvements we seek.
We are especially keen for the voice of the estates and facilities workforce to be heard and are looking for five colleagues to join the strategy working group. Further details on this, including how to get more involved can be found in the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
If you, your colleagues or members of your networks would be interested in taking part, or would like to find out more information then please e-mail: [email protected].
Construction inflation advice for estates and facilities teams
Guidance to assist NHS Trusts to identify, plan for, and mitigate cost inflation during the project business case process and contracting is available on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub within the Capital and Commercial area. Any queries on the document should be sent to: [email protected] marked for the attention of the capital and commercial team.
Mandatory update to the distribution code - compliance
Estates and facilities teams have been alerted previously regarding their responsibilities around the mandatory updates to the Distribution Code which may require them to update their electricity generators. This applies to electricity generators which are between 11kW and 50MW that were installed before February 2018 (or in some cases, July 2018). Compliance is required by September 1, 2022. Generators which are not compliant from September 1, 2022 will be subject to an enforcement process that could result in the de-energisation of the site concerned.
Background information and updates on this issue are available from the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme - Phase 3b
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Salix have recently launched Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. This scheme provides grants for public sector bodies (including NHS Trusts) to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
Reducing emissions from the NHS estate will be vital in achieving the NHS's commitment to reach net zero. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme plays an important role in supporting this, with NHS Trusts recently securing £329m of funding through Phase 3a of the scheme.
This latest phase will result in allocations of up to £635m grant funding to public sector organisations, to be spent in financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, across single and multi-year projects.
You can find full background details, including how to apply and webinar recording etc on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
NHS Chef 2022
Good luck to all those chefs who are now taking part in the regional heats. We look forward to seeing the chefs concerned demonstrating their skills and helping to raise the bar even further for NHS catering. Our thanks to all those estates and facilities teams who are supporting their colleagues on this journey. We must also thank our FM providers and suppliers for their fantastic support and whose help continues to be essential.
New Flexible Working Toolkits
NHS England has created two flexible working guides, in collaboration with Timewise and the NHS Staff Council: One for individuals and one for line managers.
The guide for individuals will help prepare staff for positive conversations to make requests about flexible working and provide staff with the best chance of agreeing a solution that works for them, their teams and their organisations.
The line manager guide offers support in how to lead a flexible team, helping managers to put structures and processes in place to support and encourage flexible workplace for all.
We encourage our estates and facilities workforce to fully embrace these new resources and for staff to discuss flexible working needs with their line manager. For more information please contact the flexible working team at: [email protected].
Estates and Facilities Apprenticeships - Snapshot
As part of the Apprenticeships Challenge, we are raising the profile of current estates and facilities apprenticeship vacancies. If you would like your NHS EFM apprenticeship adverts to be featured in the future month’s vacancy snapshot please submit your details at the vacancy portal.
In addition, there are now some new EFM careers and apprenticeship resources live on the Skills for Health website. These include materials which can be printed and taken to careers and engagement events.
Senior Responsible Officer training
The Government Commercial College is providing Senior Responsible Officer training for free until March 23. The training is promoted to all NHS Trusts with PFIs or with outsourced FM services. Please register at Government Commercial College: Log in to the site (govcommercialcollege.co.uk)
Other promotional details for the training can be found on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
Crown Commercial Services (CCS) - CPD Opportunity
CCS is looking for evaluators to assist with the overall evaluation of bidders’ responses for the new Offsite Construction Solutions (RM6184) Framework. This is due to go live in April 2023 and will replace the current Modular Building Solutions Framework (RM6014).
The ITT is scheduled to go live on August 25, 2022. CCS envisages that the commercial agreement will be of interest to a wide range of NHS Trusts that anticipate both capital and temporary works. This is on the basis that it will provide scope for a wide berth of building types, such as ward space (clinical and non-clinical), waiting areas, as well as temporary space for decant purposes whilst other major works may be taking place. By taking part in this exercise, individuals will actively be contributing to the short, medium and long-term delivery of prefabricated building space across the NHS estate.
If you would like to know more please contact Mike Kennedy-Gill at CCS at: [email protected]. Further information is also available on the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
NHS Estates and Facilities Contact E-mail Addresses
The e-mail addresses for both the National Estates and Facilities Team and the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub are now:
• [email protected] and
National Webinars
Please note the following dates in your diaries:
• September 29 - Digital Estate
• October 27 - NHS Estates and Net Zero Carbon
• November 24 - The Great Food Good Health Programme, including NHS Chef 2022.
The webinar links and joining instructions will be sent to all listed E&F contacts. NHS staff who would like to attend these sessions can also contact: [email protected] to request an invitation. All of the sessions outlined above will take place from 11am until 12:30pm.
The recordings of the recent national webinars; NHS E&F Resilience (June 30), National PLACE Programme (July 5 and 13), E&F Workforce Action Plan (July 20) and Hospital Helicopter Landing Sites (August 11) are all available now from the NHS Estates Collaboration Hub.
We would like to apologise for the postponement of the recent scheduled webinar on Fire Safety (Latest updates to the Fire Safety Regulations and Guidance). We appreciate how frustrating this will have been for those who wanted to attend. We are looking to reschedule this for a new date in the next couple of weeks.
Walking Aids Return & Reuse Planning Pack
The Walking Aids Return and Reuse Planning pack is now available ahead of Recycle Week, which runs from September 19 - 25, 2022. It includes a checklist for event preparation, how to track impact, a postcode locator and FAQs. Join our drop-ins which are taking place on September 5. The NHS aims to achieve a 40% return rate of walking aids (walking sticks, crutches, frames) over the next five years, which will save 2,400 tonnes of carbon, equivalent to taking more than 1,000 cars off the road.
NHS Estates and Facilities – Monthly Bulletin
The latest Bulletin was issued on July 20. The bulletin provides updates directly from NHS England’s NHS 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. The next edition is expected to be issued during the week commencing September 5.
NHS Estates 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 masterclasses to help registered members understand and navigate the Hub more effectively. If you are interested in attending one of these sessions then please e-mail the above mailbox.
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 follow our latest news and updates on the NHS Estates and Facilities LinkedIn page.
