FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
same staff meetings, doing team building together, even if TUPE’d. Find the common ground. Improving the patient
experience should be a priority for anyone working in a hospital, regardless of employer. Focusing conversations there makes them far more productive than arguing about contract clauses. Have better conversations – when conversations are dominated by contract references, formal emails, and growing CC lists, the partnership is in trouble. The partnerships that work best are the ones where people actually talk to each other properly about the things that matter.
Do not ignore the warning signs. When the issues become more about the people than the actual problem, that is a signal. When emails get more direct and the CC list starts growing, the relationship is already on the slide. It is much easier to fix a small crack than to rebuild a wall.
Getting the decision right in the first place Before any of this comes into play, there is a decision to be made about whether to outsource at all. And this is where NHS estates teams need to be really honest with themselves. The maturity and experience of the estates and facilities team matter enormously. Managing an outsourced service is not easy, especially for those who have never done it before. If the team have never managed an outsourced contract, that is a significant risk that needs acknowledging. The expected level of change over the contract life is also worth careful thought. Change generally benefits the private sector commercially, allowing them to price up variations. It also takes time and often requires legal input.
If significant change is on the horizon, outsourcing might not be the best route. And external factors need to be considered honestly. Union pressure, political pressure, concerns from non- executive directors – these things will influence the success of any outsourced contract, and pretending otherwise is naïve.
The question that matters The outsourcing debate in NHS FM does not need to be binary. The real question is not just whether to outsource or not – it is whether the people involved are willing to put in the time, effort, and honesty needed to make the partnership work. Because when they do, the results speak for themselves: better services, better value, and better outcomes for patients. Is that not a good enough reason to get partnerships
working?
Partnership vs adversarial.
May 2026 Health Estate Journal 75
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