ESTATE MANAGEMENT
Right: While the AP should be keeping current and accurate records as part of their duties, this does not remove any responsibility for the corresponding committees or groups, e.g. the Medical Gas Group or Ventilation Safety Group (as set out in specific HTMs).
Far right: A thorough asset list aids in the efficient management of resources – from maintenance to procurement.
team takes compliance seriously, and that team members know where to look, and what to look for. Moreover, it instils confidence in the operations team, as team members always have literature to refer to when they are unsure how to proceed, and typically will have a named individual to go to when they are unable to arrive at a clear decision. Standardised procedures and clear guidelines will ultimately streamline operations, reducing variability across the disciplines (there may also be some cross-pollination in terms of both quality and specificity), and increasing efficiency. This consistency also enhances the quality of services provided. Detailed training records and competency assessments
Simon Everett
Simon Everett, IEng, MIHEEM, ACIBSE, is a Senior Lecturer in the Built Environment and Programme Leader at Wrexham University. He has 20 years’ experience in the building services engineering sector – more than half of which has been spent in the NHS in Estates and Facilities operations and strategy roles, with a significant proportion of that time spent at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at Oswestry. Simon left the health service in 2023, where he was head of Sustainability at Wirral University Teaching Hospitals, to follow his passion for teaching full time. He is a Module Leader teaching on the Degree Programme at Eastwood Park Training.
help in identifying skill gaps in advance, which will help teams budget in a confident manner, the planning of targeted training programs, succession planning for AP and CP roles, and improve knowledge and skills in the team. This will also improve safety, in addition to the clearly defined safety procedures and emergency response protocols, which will improve consistency in emergency response, resulting in more timely and successful outcomes and a safer environment for staff and patients, reducing the overall likelihood of accidents and incidents. A thorough asset list aids in the efficient management of resources – from maintenance to procurement, extending the lifespan of assets, reducing downtime, and allowing forward capital planning as part of a strategic replacement programme. While the implementation of these Operations Manuals
offers significant benefits, teams should be aware of the potential risks involved in implementation. Initial time and resource investment can be significant. A competent Compliance manager should be able to implement a system within 6-12 months, with the library organically growing beyond that (for example, the team may not have as-fitted drawings or asset lists, which may need to be commissioned in the next financial year). A phased approach may reduce the impact on workloads for teams.
As with all change, resistance to new ways of working can be difficult to implement. It’s really important to engage early on with all stakeholders, both at operational level and above, and highlight the benefits to them (for example, once up and running, the Operations team will significantly benefit in terms of efficiency and confidence, and the process of implementation will also help highlight shortfalls in a digestible way for senior leadership so that funding might be secured for, say, failing air plant). Maintaining the library is key to the success of its implementation, so it’s important to establish a regular review and update process, assigning day-to-day responsibility to specific team members – such as the corresponding AP – to ensure that information remains current and accurate. The AP should be keeping these records anyway as part of their duties, so they should buy in to the process. However, this does not remove any responsibility for the corresponding committees or groups, e.g. the Medical Gas Group or Ventilation Safety Group (as set out in each specific HTM). These groups should be engaged in the process, and be a key part of reviews and acceptance. Reviews should be a standing agenda item.
Conclusions The adoption of comprehensive Operations Manuals for each Estates and Facilities discipline can strengthen compliance management of healthcare facilities, thus improving patient safety. Standardising these documents across the disciplines in Estates & Facilities will make it easier for teams to navigate, manage, and maintain. While there are challenges to implementation, the benefits far outweigh the risks, making this a strategic investment for the Trust. We therefore make the following recommendations: n Estates & Facilities Departments develop their own template for the Operations Manuals based on the discussions in this paper.
n Committees and Groups should be tasked with populating these manuals and identifying any gaps.
n These Committees and Groups should have a standing agenda item to review the Operations Manuals, and to have an action plan for filling any gaps.
n The asset list can inform strategic capital replacement programmes.
References 1 Health Technical Memorandum 00: Policies and principles of healthcare engineering. Department of Health (2014a), 2014.
https://tinyurl.com/2u49vxbw
2 HM Government (2008, 3rd Edn.) Fire and Rescue Manual Volume 2: Fire Service Operations. The Stationery Office, Norwich.
https://tinyurl.com/3b6ehefx
Examples of detailed plant manuals. 78 Health Estate Journal January 2025
3 Health Building Note 00-07: Planning for a resilient healthcare estate. Department of Health (2014b), 2014. https://tinyurl. com/39ej3tt5
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