NHS SBS launches fire safety and compliance framework for healthcare estates

by Featured NewsHealth and SafetyProjectsSafety

New framework supports fire safety compliance in NHS buildings

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has introduced a new framework agreement, Building Safety and Fire Compliance, designed to enhance fire safety measures in healthcare settings across England.

The framework provides access to active and passive fire safety solutions, fire risk assessments, and consultancy services.

NHS SBS stated that the initiative aims to help NHS estates and public sector organisations manage risks such as legal penalties, operational disruption, and safety hazards.

Brendan Griffin-Ryan, NHS SBS senior category manager, said: “The increased emphasis on fire safety brought about by the dreadful Grenfell Tower disaster has shown that some NHS buildings fail to meet modern safety standards and underscores why fire safety compliance and protocols are paramount.”

NHS estates face mounting infrastructure challenges

NHS England has estimated that eliminating the NHS maintenance backlog would cost £13.8 billion, exceeding the £13.6 billion spent annually on running the NHS estate.

The National Audit Office reported that 5,400 clinical incidents occurred in 2023-2024 due to infrastructure failures.

NHS trust documents highlight risks including electrical failures, exposure to hazardous materials, floods, and fire hazards.

To address these issues, the government has allocated £1 billion for essential repairs and upgrades, with £102 million designated for the first phase of GP surgery improvements.

The New Hospital Programme, with a budget of £15 billion, aims to modernise NHS facilities over multiple phases.

Framework offers specialist fire safety procurement options

The Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework allows NHS procurement teams to select vetted suppliers for services such as asbestos management, legionella treatment, and fire safety solutions.

NHS SBS said this approach ensures quicker and more compliant procurement of fire safety and compliance services.

The framework includes a range of suppliers, from multinational companies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling flexibility and accessibility for NHS trusts and public sector organisations.

Regulatory alignment and risk mitigation

NHS SBS stated that the framework is designed to align with key health and safety regulations, supporting compliance across critical areas such as fire safety, water treatment, and asbestos management.

Griffin-Ryan added: “The NHS must prioritise fire safety to prevent incidents similar to Grenfell from occurring in healthcare settings, where the impact could be catastrophic.

“Our framework agreement provides the NHS with a comprehensive range of services.

I”t aligns with key health and safety regulations—ensuring seamless integration and adherence to all compliance in critical areas like fire safety, water treatment, and asbestos management, crucial for maintaining the safety and integrity of NHS buildings, protecting patients, staff, and visitors.”

NHS SBS launches fire safety and compliance framework for healthcare estates: Summary

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched the Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework to help NHS estates and public sector organisations meet fire safety and compliance requirements.

The framework provides access to active and passive fire safety solutions, risk assessments, and consultancy services.

NHS England has reported that addressing the NHS maintenance backlog would cost £13.8 billion, with infrastructure failures leading to 5,400 clinical incidents in 2023-2024.

The government has allocated £1 billion for urgent repairs, including £102 million for GP surgeries.

The New Hospital Programme, with a £15 billion budget, aims to modernise NHS buildings.

NHS SBS stated that the framework enables faster procurement of compliance services, including fire safety, asbestos management, and legionella treatment, supporting regulatory adherence and reducing operational risks.

Public encouraged to honour emergency service workers on ‘999 Day’

by Active

Emergency Services Day, also referred to as 999 Day, begins with a two minutes’ silence at 9am on September 9, to represent the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month.

The public are being encouraged to fly the flag of 999 Day and to share and promote an emergency services charity on social media.

Organisers said the event is an opportunity to pay tribute to the two million people who work and volunteer across the NHS and emergency services, including more than 250,000 first responders.

It also aims to educate the public on using the services responsibly, as well as raising money for charities and to highlight the different career and volunteer roles in the emergency services.

Now in its third year, Emergency Services Day is backed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – and has been promoted by members of the royal family.

Mr Johnson said: “It takes a very special kind of person to put your life on the line for a complete stranger, yet that is what we see day in, day out from the remarkable men and women of our emergency services.

“You protect us from harm, deliver us from danger, and tend to us in our hours of need. And you do so without hesitation or complaint – if we dial 999, we know you will be there for us.

“I know the dedicated men and women of the emergency services did not get into this line of work for the accolades or applause.

“You are heroes of British life, doing what you do not for the plaudits but out of a sheer sense of duty and a determination to serve the public.

“All of us in this country owe each of you a debt of gratitude.

“So, it is only right that, on Emergency Services Day, we celebrate your work and, as a nation, say a huge thank you for doing so much for so many.”

Organisers said a main national “open day” style event is held on the nearest Sunday, but this year’s event, which was scheduled in Belfast, was cancelled due to coronavirus.

Last year, the Duke of Cambridge visited the Fire Fighters Charity’s centre at Harcombe House in Chudleigh, South Devon, to mark the event.

Tom Scholes-Fogg, founder and chief executive of Emergency Services Day, said: “As we saw earlier this year with people clapping at their doors, the UK is united in its support for those who put others before themselves.

“I encourage everybody to support our emergency services personnel all year round, not just on 999 Day.”

London hospital to address fire safety defects after PFI firm’s administration

by Projects

The private finance initiative (PFI) company responsible for the acute care building at London’s Whittington Hospital has filed for administration after being asked to fund remediation work.

The hospital trust has now taken on management of the building and responsibility for the remediation, but it is still unknown how the work will be funded.

Whittington Facilities was set up in 2003 to deliver and maintain a new acute hospital building at the health facility in Archway, north London. The project was completed in 2008 and the PFI contract runs until 2034.

Contractor Jarvis, originally part of the PFI company, ran into financial difficulties during the project, and exited the construction sector as well as the PFI contract.

The Whittington Health NHS Trust has been pursuing Whittington Facilities, whose ultimate parent is finance firm Trinity Investment Capital, to pay for defect remediation since 2018.

In January of that year, a fire broke out in the basement of the building. The premises were evacuated but no one was injured.

Hospital trust board minutes from October 2019 reveal that it had been working on a “major fire safety remediation project” but in the meantime had increased its number of security guards, fire wardens and carried out extra fire drills in a bid to keep patients safe. These measures remain in place as work to fix the defects has not yet been carried out.

In its latest accounts for the year to 31 December 2018, Whittington Facilities said company directors were working to assess whether defects and “performance issues” claimed by the trust really existed. The company warned it might go under if they were found.

“The directors believe there is a reasonable prospect that cash outlays will be required, which casts doubt on its future ability to trade as a going concern,” it said. It added that the company had breached its covenants with Lloyds Bank after the end of 2018 but the bank had not yet called in its debts. The report said: “In the event of a pending or likely insolvency, the company would appoint an administrator to stay any legal action against it and to attempt to negotiate settlements with its clients and creditors to avoid an insolvency event.”

The firm filed for administration last month. It was one of 16 in the construction sector to do so in August.

A spokeswoman for the Whittington Health NHS Trust said: “The trust has worked with the administrators and has now taken over the management of the services that were being delivered by the PFI company.

“We have developed contingency plans to ensure there is no impact on the ongoing management of the PFI building and the continuity of all services. A full survey of the building will be conducted to determine the extent of any construction defects and it is our intention to fully address these deficiencies.”

She added: “The current position with regard to coronavirus makes it difficult to be sure but we certainly mean to address these issues as soon as possible.”

Negotiations about the costs to the taxpayer and how the remediation will be paid for are ongoing with administrator Deloitte.