The response to the launch of the new National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day continues to grow. The website has only been live for around one month, but already a staggering 173 organisations have registered to support the day, giving the event a fantastic reach of over 85,000 staff, which we estimate to be around 33% of the total NHS EFM workforce.
The inaugural National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day will be held on June 15, 2022 (and annually thereafter on the third Wednesday in June). This national awareness day has been launched to recognise and celebrate the essential work of estates and facilities (E&F) staff across the health service. The work of the directly patient-facing workforce in hospitals and care settings would be impossible without the army of E&F professionals underpinning them. In spite of the critical nature of their work, E&F staff are consistently undervalued in both their work environments and within the media. The awareness day will begin to change that. It is an opportunity for all healthcare organisations to mark the contribution of their E&F staff, and enhance the public perception of these essential roles.
Although the response has been incredible, there are still more organisations that have yet to engage with the National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day. Please head to the website (www.healthcareEFMDay.org) to register your interest and download the free supporters kit. There is also a video that you can share across your own social media to help to raise awareness of the many essential services and activities that E&F teams are responsible for.
Many Trusts and supporting associations are now in the process of engaging with their staff and members to explore potential activities and other ways of celebrating their E&F teams on the day. The website will share details of these activities as they become available, which may provide inspiration and ideas for others. If you are already planning activities, please do share them with us so we can post for all to see – there is an email link on the website.
National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day is supported by HEFMA and other professional organisations representing the E&F workforce: Association for Healthcare Cleaning Professionals, Hospital Caterers Association, Institute of Decontamination Sciences, Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management, Society of Hospital Linen Services and Laundry Managers and National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers. The day also has the support of the professional E&F leads in the four national NHS bodies, as well as commercial partners and the wider supply chain. This list is by no means exclusive, and other partners who share an interest in promoting the work of E&F staff in healthcare across the UK will be welcomed to help celebrate this special day.
