DIGITAL EFM TECHNOLOGY
CAFM systems can ease estate management
Implementing a centralised Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system to manage ongoing workflow and maintenance can make healthcare estates more efficient, while also ensuring that ‘nothing falls through the cracks with regards to compliance’. So says Nigel Robinson, General manager of international facilities management software provider, Service Works Global, who explains how to implement a digital strategy and the resulting benefits, with examples from work carried out with the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Staff across the NHS, including the healthcare estates and facilities and healthcare engineering personnel who maintain and look after healthcare facilities, are increasingly being asked to improve efficiencies while at the same time cutting costs – requests that can seem at odds with each other. This is is all at a time when compliance challenges are greater than ever, which can be made even harder when managing an estate with numerous buildings. There are already statutory reporting mechanisms in
SWG says: “Productivity increases, and role-based stress decreases, when FM personnel can create an environment that allows clinical staff to perform their work in a well- managed space.”
place that include sections about estates and facilities. The Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) system collects quantitative data on the costs, operational aspects, and performance metrics of running an NHS estate, while the Premises Assurance Model (PAM) covers a broader range of qualitative aspects like governance, patient experience, and statutory compliance, across different technical areas. Digitalising an estate will make statutory reporting much more efficient, while also supporting compliance and cost reduction.
Reliance on ‘old’ technology As things stand, many NHS Trusts continue to rely on old technology, and traditional methods of data storage and communication, when it comes to estates management. Digitalisation of the healthcare service offers a solution to
these current challenges. By integrating computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) software into existing operating systems, NHS estates teams can save time and money in the day-to-day running of a healthcare facility, while ensuring that nothing ‘falls through the cracks’ with regard to compliance. CAFM systems help to centralise and streamline the
work that takes place within healthcare facilities. Asset management, building and maintenance planning, and health and safety, are all critical to optimising the efficiency of facilities management services. At SWG, we understand that the healthcare sector has unique requirements, driven by strict regulatory control and the need to manage specialist equipment, and we thus offer modules specifically designed to meet these needs, including medical device management and cleanliness standards.
Asset management A huge part of the NHS, after the staff, is the broad spectrum of equipment and different operating systems that enable Trusts to deliver efficient and high-quality care. Ensuring that these are all functioning and up to date is essential to ensuring the smooth running of these services. By using CAFM systems, management staff are able to keep track of all the assets and equipment on the wards and in other clinical and non-clinical spaces, and their current status. Staff are able to report equipment failure or request services (for example, cleaning) efficiently, via a self-service interface, in a matter of a few clicks. Once reported, a task is created and dispatched to the relevant engineers to keep the maintenance of healthcare spaces and equipment up to date.
Audits Audits are an essential way to manage compliance and report issues. With CAFM software, undertaking an audit is much more straightforward. The ability to ensure that items are in the right place, and to report when they are not, means staff have all the necessary tools at their disposal to be able to deliver appropriate care to their patients. Completing and storing audits with CAFM means facilities management personnel can easily access the data, both past and present, and carry out necessary inspections that help identify which areas need attention. CAFM software offers a simple way to gather data and feedback conveniently, such as during asset management checks and audits. Forms and checklists can be created and customised, and can show what is
124 Health Estate Journal October 2024
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