GOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE


Strengthening compliance around the AE audit


Building on success in delivering its ‘acclaimed solution’ for NHS Trusts to manage their PAM submissions, QuiqSolutions, in conjunction with IHEEM, is launching a suite of tools to assist in EFM governance and compliance. As the company’s Sales director, Paul Kaye explains, the scope of the solution includes delivery of a digital solution around the AE auditing process, married to a new self-assessment tool for Trusts and Health Boards to manage year-round compliance with the relevant HTMs in each area.


Compliance in estates and facilities is attracting increasing attention in the wake of events at Grenfell. The consequences of non-compliance in large buildings are all too apparent, and there is now increasing pressure on the sector to bring more focus in this area. Part of the reaction resulted in NHS England mandating that Trusts complete ongoing assessments and an annual submission of their compliance position via PAM (NHS Premises Assurance Model). PAM covers all aspects of estates and facilities management, with Estates teams grappling with the scope and the need to have input across multiple technical areas. potentially reflecting differences across many locations. NHS England states in its guidance


for PAM: “Assurance provides evidence and confidence for NHS Trust Boards and other interested parties that those actions needed to keep the NHS estate and facilities safe, effective, efficient and of high quality, will actually occur.” Although Trusts have been provided with a spreadsheet template for gathering evidence of compliance with the questions in PAM, increasingly they are adopting digital solutions such as QuiqSolutions’ QuiqCare software that makes the process much easier to manage. Now attention has turned to some of the


other aspects of assurance and auditing of EFM operations, and in particular the auditing of Trusts by Authorising Engineers (AEs). IHEEM is the professional institute that accredits AEs, and has Technical Platforms of highly experienced professionals who develop standards that contribute to HTMs and other healthcare sector-specific guidance. Up to now, IHEEM-accredited AEs have been largely using their own templates when carrying out audits across the technical areas such as Ventilation, Water, Decontamination, Electrical, and Medical Gases. These audits may be in digital format, but are more than likely undertaken via a spreadsheet or Word document, and frequently reference the relevant HTM for each area. IHEEM’s Technical Platforms in all the key areas are now working to standardise the content of audits so that the quality can be assured and maintained in the future as guidance changes.


Opportunity to move to a digital platform In addition to standardising the audits, IHEEM also recognised the opportunity to move to a digital platform, and take advantage of the additional functionality and efficiency savings that a purpose- made electronic quality management


QuiqSolutions Sales director, Paul Kaye, said: “Up to now, IHEEM accredited AEs have been largely using their own templates when carrying out audits across the technical areas such as Ventilation, Water, Decontamination, Electrical, and Medical Gases.”


system (QMS) might bring when married with the right content. Indeed, this piece of work is one of the deliverables against the IHEEM 2023 published Business Priorities, namely ‘Strengthen commitment to support the professional development


The PAM home screen dashboard; a view across all domains. 44 Health Estate Journal September 2023


Screenshot from the IHEEM / JAG Decontamination audit form.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120