Parr FM included on newly-launched £800m NHS SBS Hard Facilities Management framework

May 11, 2022

Parr Facilities Management Ltd have secured a spot on the recently-launched, Hard Facilities Management framework agreement (Hard FM) by leading procurement provider, NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS).

The second iteration of the organisation’s highly successful framework is designed to respond to the need within the NHS for high-quality, innovative and cost-effective solutions, which help NHS trusts manage their estates successfully. The new framework’s scope has broadened to encompass Covid-19 safety provisions and includes a specific emphasis on sustainability and innovation.

Maintaining a safe environment in healthcare settings – from infection control, through to the maintenance and upkeep of medical facilities and equipment – has a direct bearing on patient safety and care, the wellbeing of the NHS workforce, and that of the wider public.

Data from NHS Digital’s 2020/21 Estates Return Information Collection, shows that the annual cost of running the NHS Estate stands at £10.2 billion – a 4% increase on 2019/2020, with the cost of clearing the required maintenance backlog having risen 2.2% to £9.2 billion.

To support this challenge, NHS SBS’s renewed Hard FM framework agreement has been specifically designed for the NHS and healthcare sector, with inputs from NHS trusts (procurement, estate management and capital development personnel), the wider healthcare community and the public sector.

The framework can provide up to 10% savings for Estate, Facilities and Capital Development teams that buy services through it. With £800m expected spend via the framework over the next four years, it could potentially equate to public sector savings of up to £80m.

As the UK’s largest employer, the NHS is responsible for around 4% of the nation’s carbon emissions. It is, therefore, committed to tackling climate change by reducing its direct emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2040 and 2045 for those emissions it can influence.

With 60% of the NHS carbon footprint occurring within the NHS supply chain, public procurement will be leveraged to effect change.

The Hard FM framework makes provision for this, via the 154 suppliers awarded a place across its 46 specialist lots. This mix of expertise spans the provision of low carbon energy infrastructure (incorporating smart microgrids with on-site generation of renewable energy), alongside air cleaning, decontamination and infection control systems.

The framework also includes Covid-secure queue management systems and access control, partitioning, isolation and social distancing systems, and integrated workplace management systems.

Parr FM has successfully secured a place on a large number of these specialist lots including:

  • Building Fabric Maintenance.
  • All MTC Lots
  • Plumbing Services & Draining Services
  • Partitioning and Isolation, and Social-Distancing Systems
  • Low Carbon Energy Infrastructure
  • Gas and Oil Boilers; General Gas Appliances
  • Fixed Wiring Testing and Cable Management
  • Lightning Conductor Testing
  • Re-lamping and Lighting Solutions
  • Ventilation and Air Conditioning
  • Statutory Inspections and Hard FM Managed Services.

Brendan Griffin-Ryan, NHS SBS senior category manager – Estates & Facilities, commented:

“The management of NHS estates and facilities demands specialist expertise in areas such as strategic planning alongside comprehensive knowledge of the estate’s condition. Compliance, with an ever-increasing list of regulations, places further pressure on teams managing these vital services. This framework is designed to support estate managers meet these targets and provide a compliant route for reactive, planned and new installations of equipment and infrastructure.

“With an approach heavily focused on sustainability, NHS SBS’s new framework agreement ensures broader ethical environmental objectives are considered and met, tying into the strategies and ambitions detailed in NHS England’s ‘Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service‘ plan.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented new safety and infection control challenges and led to healthcare providers having to significantly adapt to ensure they can maintain Covid-safe environments. Hence the framework’s inclusion of a range of supplier services and innovative solutions, such as touch-free entrance technology, to support the new Covid-safety requirements.”

For more information about the Hard Facilities Management framework and how Parr Facilities Management can suppport NHS Hospitals and organisations across the UK through this framework contact our team.

For more information about how we can help you please call 0333 202 7725