Health Business 24.1 by PSI Media

ISSUE 24.1 www.healthbusinessuk.net

PROCUREMENT

SOCIAL CARE

CAREERS

JOINING THE NHS

Working together to promote access to NHS careers

PLUS: FRAMEWORKS | MEDICAL EQUIPMENT | ENERGY | TECHNOLOGY

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Editor’s Comment Health Business 24.1

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226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Polly Jones EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Robyn Quick PRODUCTION MANAGER & DESIGNER Dan Kanolik PRODUCTION DESIGNER Jo Golding PRODUCTION CONTROL Deimante Gecionyte ADMINISTRATION Enkelejda Lleshaj WEB PRODUCTION Freya Courtney ADVERTISEMENT SALES Lauren McGowan, Maziar Movassagh, Michael Wheeler PUBLISHER Damian Emmins GROUP PUBLISHER Karen Hopps

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Grow your business. Bank on Barclays.

Five ways to give your new business idea a healthy start

Kate Bache and Gervase Fay founded Health & Her in 2019. Their business provides a range of supplements and a digital tool to support wellbeing during the menopause and perimenopause. Starting out as an ecommerce site, their products are now available in over 5,000 stores throughout the UK and internationally. Kate spoke to Barclays Business about �ve things that helped their start-up go from strength to strength.

Visit www.barclays.co.uk/healthandher-hb to �nd out more

Do something no one else is doing Everybody experiences the menopause di�erently, so we built a unique menopause tool that allows each user to navigate their own personal journey. The tool was used by around 30,000 people within the �rst four months. We then worked with university data scientists, which gave us a huge amount of insight into the intricacies of menopause, and really helped re�ne our retail o�ering.

Know your market Both Gervase and I have backgrounds in marketing and innovation. And we were used to dealing with retailers. Using all the data we had from our menopause tool, we were able to develop a range of supplements that we thought would do well in the shops. Not just in the UK either – Health & Her

Whenever “we’ve had

challenges around investment or cash�ow, Barclays have always been there to support and help us.

“

products are now available in the US, Ireland, Netherlands and Germany too.

female founders and with the help and services they o�ered - and the guidance on the healthcare sector – we quickly switched banks.

because this company knew our sector and could scale with us, they became an ideal partner as we grew.

Cash is king

Team culture is all-important

Even if things are going well, and you’ve got funding in place, you still need to keep a close eye on your cash�ow. Retailers, for example, may not pay you back for 60 to 90 days. So, one of the best things Barclays did for us was introduce us to a specialist invoice factoring company. This not only solved our cash�ow challenges, but

When you’re scaling very quickly, you’re having to hire quickly too. And it’s really hard to hang on to that great team culture that kept everyone going in the early stages. We have worked hard on maintaining a tightly-knit team where everyone has bought into the culture we want at Health & Her.

Pick a supportive banking partner Our previous bank had a start-up incubator but it felt like an exclusive club. So we had a look at the Barclays Eagle Labs and they were so much more welcoming and supportive. That made everything a lot easier for us. Diversity was important too, they were keen on promoting

FIVE WAYS TO GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A HEALTHY START

Don’t go it alone

Know your true value

Think �ve years ahead

Two founders are better than one – that way you can support one another.

In a seed funding round, don’t be tempted to give away too much equity.

You won’t always be a start-up. Try to anticipate the challenges after scaling.

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Contents

Contents Health Business 24.1 7

NEWS

PROCUREMENT

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

FRAMEWORK

INFECTION CONTROL

FIRE SAFETY

FRAMEWORK

ENERGY

REWIRED 2024

TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY SHOW

CAREERS

COMMUNICATIONS

Health Business magazine

LEGIONELLA

SOCIAL CARE

www.healthbusinessuk.net Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

News

GOVERNMENT

Michael Matheson resigns as Scottish health secretary Scottish cabinet secretary for NHS recovery, health and social care Michael Matheson has tendered his resignation to the first minister. Matheson joined the Scottish Government in 2011 as minister for public health. He was appointed cabinet secretary for justice in 2014, cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity in 2018, cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport in 2021, before being appointed as cabinet secretary for NHS recovery, health and social care in March 2023. In his resignation letter, he cited the ongoing review into his data roaming charges. He said: “Having requested that the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body review my data roaming charges from last year, I am conscious that this process will conclude in the coming weeks. I have still not received the findings of their review, however, it is in the best interest of myself and the Government for me to now step down to ensure this does not become a distraction to taking forward the Government’s agenda. “Throughout my time in office, I have been supported by dedicated civil servants without whom it would be impossible to do my job. I would like to thank them for their guidance and support during my time in Government. “I am enormously grateful to you for appointing me as Health Secretary and for the support that you have given me throughout the last year, it has meant a great deal to both me and my family. Thank you...”

CAPACITY

NHS meets target of 5,000 more beds for winter The NHS has met its target of rolling out 5,000 additional permanent, staffed beds this winter. Recently published figures show that in the week ending 21 January, hospitals across the country had an average of 99,750 core beds in place each day, this is up 2,000 since the start of the year (97,619 w/e 31 Dec) to align with the expected peak in Covid and flu admissions. The 5,000 extra beds target was set from a baseline of 94,500, the original level of core beds planned by NHS trusts in 2022/23. The NHS now has a total of 103,277 general and acute beds in place – more than 1,800 more than the same week last year. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “A year ago we launched our Urgent and emergency care recovery plan, setting out how we planned to improve patient experience by boosting capacity with thousands more beds, new ambulances, and the expansion of measures like our world-leading virtual ward programme, community response teams and care ‘traffic control centres’. “Today’s figures show that thanks to the remarkable hard work of NHS staff, we have now rolled out an additional 5,000 extra ‘core’ beds – permanent, staffed beds – which, alongside the other measures in our plan, are helping the NHS better manage increased winter pressures, significant demand, and rising numbers of patients with seasonal viruses. “They also reveal why the NHS needed to grow its capacity – with more than 19 in 20 adult beds occupied last week...” CONTINUE READING

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Specialist Dental Seating

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News

TECHNOLOGY

Wireless innovation trials to improve patient care New wireless technologies to help improve patient care and strengthen connectivity in A&Es and ambulance bays are being trialled across seven NHS Trusts. These trials are being funded by a £1 million boost as part of NHS England’s Wireless Trials programme, which seeks to make the most of pioneering wireless technologies to provide the best care and experiences for patients, while freeing up more staff time to spend with their patients. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the institutions that will benefit from the trial. They will be testing the approach of combining satellite and cloud-based wireless solutions to enhance connectivity across their ten hospital sites and wider community services. Dan Prescott, group chief information officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As one of the country’s largest NHS trusts, it’s essential that we can provide continuous patient care with minimum disruptions.” He added that the Wireless Trial is aiming to “create a reliable, fast and secure network access solution to address unexpected connectivity issues, even in areas of poorconnectivity.” Trials will be introduced to the North West and East of England ambulance services, where there will be a roll out of improved wireless connections in A&E and ambulance areas, speeding up the transfer of essential patient care data from ambulances to hospitals. Another project run by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust will introduce a new app that allows staff to take observations...

DENTISTRY

NHS Dental Recovery Plan launched The NHS has revealed a Dental Recovery Plan intended to help patients benefit from millions more NHS dental appointments over the next year, with easier and faster access to NHS dental care across England. The plans are supported by £200 million of government funding, with NHS dentists to be given a ‘new patient’ payment of between £15£50 (depending on treatment need) to treat around a million new patients who have not seen an NHS dentist in two years or more. It is hoped the plans will lead to up to 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments delivered for patients over the next 12 months, including up to 1.5 million extra treatments being delivered. The plans also highlight a focus on prevention and good oral health in young children. A ‘Smile For Life’ programme will offer parents and parents-to-be advice for baby gums and milk teeth, with the aim that by the time children go to school, every child will see tooth brushing as a normal part of their day. In order to attract new NHS dentists and improve access to care in areas with high demand, around 240 dentists will be offered one-off payments of up to £20,000 for working in under-served areas for up to three years. The public will be able to use the NHS website and App to see which practices in their area are accepting new NHS patients. Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “COVID-19 has significantly impacted NHS dental care, and teams across the country are working hard to recover services and meet rising demand... CONTINUE READING

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

RAPID GAMES DESIGN WORKSHOPS A powerful, creative 1-day workshop for understanding, collaborating and rethinking.

“If net zero was a game, what would it be like for healthcare?”

Or ward management? Or resource planning? Or community engagement? By asking this question, Rapid Games Design helps groups explore complex issues by building games about them. Designing games guides participants into rich and productive discussions, gently uncovering different perspectives so that groups can playfully learn, experiment and innovate together. The workshops feel very engaging and inclusive, and there’s always a great creative buzz in the room.

Rapid Games Design was used by a medical device company for the annual training day for their creative team. It was amazing to see how such a fun process led to important discussions: • • •

How can we best position ourselves? What is the core of our business? How can we adapt to a changing business environment?

The workshop enabled different teams to come together, share perspectives and discuss new strategies in a creative way.

The day •

Warm-up exercises

•

Sharing and discussion

•

“The Rapid Games Designing workshop was one of the best I’ve ever attended.“ Ellen MacDermid, participant of the Rapid Games Design workshop on “Build Back Better” for postgraduates at Edinburgh University.

“If sustainable care was a game, what would it be like?”

3 hours’ game design in groups of 4-8

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Training events, away days, outreach events

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News

APPRENTICESHIPS

NHS Trusts mark National Apprenticeship Week National Apprenticeship Week took place from 5 to 11 February and trusts across the country marked the occasion. The theme for the 17th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) was ‘Skills for Life’. The apprenticeship team at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust hosted additional drop-in information sessions across hospital sites, highlighting apprenticeships as a fantastic opportunity for existing staff to develop and open doors for the local community and allow them to earn while they learn. Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) highlighted the variety of roles for those wishing to work for an outstanding NHS Trusts, including student nurses, occupational therapists, business admin, customer service, software development, dieticians and pharmacists. HPFT currently has 135 apprentices working across the Trust, who are receiving training, development and learning opportunities in their respective fields which will help to further their career. Belinda Clayton is an advanced assistant therapy practitioner (3rd year apprentice) working with older adults on a Mental Health Assessment and Treatment unit (Seward Lodge). She said: “I feel incredibly fortunate that I love my role. I have enjoyed being on the apprenticeship, despite it being hard work – seeing theory put into practice is exciting! I especially love spending time with service users and knowing that I am playing a part in their journey of assessment, treatment, and safe...”

TECHNOLOGY

Digital prescriptions now available in the NHS App Digital prescriptions are now available in the NHS App, following a successful trial last year. The new service will enable patients to see when their prescriptions have been issued and view their prescribed medication. Patients without a nominated pharmacy will be able to use a barcode in the app to collect their prescription from any pharmacy instead of needing a paper version. Through the app, those waiting for an elective hospital treatment will also now be able to see the average waiting time for their procedure at their local trust. The new features are part of an initiative to encourage more people to use the app in their everyday lives and help free up time on the frontline. According to NHS England, each repeat prescription ordered electronically saves GP practices three minutes of time, with those ordered using the app expected to save the equivalent of 1.85 million hours in 2024. Patients also save an average of 18 minutes with each online order, making it more convenient for patients and freeing up time for frontline staff. There are already 33.6 million registered users of the NHS app - this is equivalent to around three quarters of the adult population. Vin Diwakar, national director for transformation at NHS England said: “The NHS App is transforming the way people manage their healthcare, freeing up valuable time for healthcare professionals. “Giving all patients in England direct access to prescription information through the app means they’ll know when their prescription is issued and avoid delays in collection... CONTINUE READING

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Record number of nurses and midwives in the NHS

Inverness hospital installs solar car park and EV charging hub: READ MORE

Figures released by NHS England have shown that there are more nurses and midwives than ever before working in the NHS. The figures from November show that the number of nurses and midwives working in the NHS in England is now at 372,411. NHS England says this is the highest number on record and 20,000 more in the NHS workforce going into this winter compared with last year. It was also reported that the number of midwives has grown by more than 1,100 from last year to 23,396 – the largest number of midwives ever. NHS England is citing new routes into the two professions and expanded international recruitment and retention initiatives. Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said: “Nurses, midwives, nursing associates and support workers are a crucial part of our NHS workforce, providing essential treatment and care to patients and communities. “It’s good to see today’s figures which show growth in these roles across the NHS. Of course, we still have some way to go which is why it is vital we continue to build our workforce as set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan – through increasing the number of future nurses and midwives in training and improving retention. Key to this is improving the experiences of our colleagues who work so hard to provide patients and the public with the very best care. “Joining the NHS was the best decision I ever made. If you think nursing or midwifery could be for you, you can search ‘NHS nursing careers’ to find out more about the roles available and how to apply....”

Report investigates racism in the NHS: READ MORE

News

STAFF

More top news stories from www.healthbusinessuk.net

Trust adds electric vans to fleet: READ MORE

Virtual wards helping to keep people out of A&E: READ MORE Digital literacy initiatives addressing health inequalities: READ MORE Staff wearing body cameras to protect against violence: READ MORE BACKLOG

Prime minister admits failing on NHS waiting lists Prime minister Rishi Sunak has admitted that he has failed to stick to his promise to reduce NHS waiting lists. NHS England figures show, that at the end of November, there were 6.39 million patients waiting for 7.61 million treatments to be carried out. These numbers were down from 7.71 million treatments and 6.44 million patients at the end of October. NHS England and the government had set a target of eliminating all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023, excluding exceptionally complex cases or patients who chose to wait longer. However, 11,168 people in England were waiting more than 18 months to start routine hospital treatment at the end of November, which is up from 10,506 at the end of October. Cutting the number of patients waiting for NHS treatment was one of Sunak’s five key priorities, however in an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, he admitted that the government has not made enough progress. Morgan asked Sunak if he had failed on that pledge and the prime minister replied: “Yes, we have.” However, Sunak blamed the issue on the pandemic and strikes, rather than government failure. However, it has been pointed out that the pandemic was taken into consideration when... CONTINUE READING

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

How to Elevate Your Auditing With Radar Healthcare’s Audit Management Module

Radar Healthcare is revolutionising auditing processes for health and social care providers with its Audit Management Module, offering direct links to action plans and analytics for more efficient and effective auditing. By consolidating risk, quality, and compliance data into a single location, health and social care providers can easily see the bigger picture behind their audit results. With just one click, users can access the insights needed to make data-driven decisions that address areas for improvement and increase overall performance.

POSITIVE MODULE FEEDBACK The Audit Management Module has received positive feedback from users, with 22% citing the flexibility of audit types as their favourite feature and 20% appreciating the ability to assign roles to different audit tasks. Recent development of the Audits Module has been made possible through Radar Healthcare’s close collaboration with customers through forums and Beta groups, ensuring that it is tailored to the needs of providers and the activity they need to be able to measure and evidence as part of their compliance process. Overall, the Audit Management Module offers a game-changing solution to transform auditing processes, enabling providers to deliver better quality care to those who need it most.

setting, creating bespoke audits with pre-set or customised responses. They can also share audits between different job roles and track the history of each audit’s actions. Additionally, customers can amend audit frequency by location according to their organisational needs. For instance, under performing locations can be audited on a weekly or fortnightly schedule, while others can be audited monthly. Mark Fewster, Chief Product Officer at Radar Healthcare says: “We know that when looking for Risk Management and Audit software, our customers need a product that competes with tools solely designed for this purpose, which is exactly what our Audits Module does. “We’ve developed this Audit Module in partnership with our customers, we’ve involved them both at ideas stage and in our development process to ensure we can shape the product that they want. We’re confident that our fully integrated Audit Module is as good as any standalone auditing software on the market but with the added benefit of being integrated with our full risk and compliance system.” For more on the development of the Audit Management Module, listen to our podcast ‘What the HealthTech?’ here.

AUDIT INSIGHT FROM WARD TO BOARD LEVEL

FLEXIBLE CONFIGURATION TO SUIT INDIVIDUAL REQUIREMENTS

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) recently partnered with Radar Healthcare to improve their quality governance processes, aiming to provide their busy clinical teams with a comprehensive overview of different processes and learning opportunities in one centralised platform.

What sets Radar Healthcare’s Audit Management Module apart is its versatility and customisation options. Users can fully configure audits to the specific needs of their organisation or

Two of their key success have been a significant increase in audit completion and compliance and the ability to have increased visibility over meaningful ‘quality audits’.

Revolutionising Quality Governance: North Bristol NHS Trust’s Partnership with Radar Healthcare

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“We have nearly reached 90% monthly completion for all of our locations who are undertaking their audits on Radar Healthcare without any problems at all. Audit compliance has also improved since the Radar Healthcare launch from 55-60% to 80%. So both completion and compliance has increased significantly.” Juliette Hughes, Deputy Chief Nurse, North Bristol NHS Trust. With Radar Healthcare, clinical, front-line and leadership teams now have oversight of the audits, their impact across the Trust, outstanding action plans, and feedback following the completion of an audit. To hear more about the impact of Radar Healthcare being implemented, click below to listen to Steve Hams, Chief Nursing Officer at North Bristol NHS Trust.

www.radarhealthcare.com

We were really keen to look for something in terms of software that was going to help us connect all sorts of different quality governance processes that exist in the NHS. One of the things in my various roles over the past few years that I’ve found really challenging is helping clinical teams to see a picture of all of these different processes in one place. Paul Cresswell, Director of Quality Governance North Bristol NHS Trust

Schedule some time with our team to learn more about the impact that our Audit Management Module can have on your organisation.

Procurement

The importance of clinical experience in procurement decisions within infection prevention and control In light of growing healthcare demands and constrained financial resources, Value-Based Procurement continues to be essential in order to generate year-on-year savings for the NHS In this article, Brian Mangan, international recognised in Value-Based Procurement & fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement, and Kristine Jones from BD, & a former procurement manager & strategic planning manager at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust discuss the importance of collaboration, both within the NHS and the wider medical technology industry, and how this can add value to the procurement decision making process. For Value-Based Procurement (VBP) to work effectively, it is vital to involve key stakeholders from across the healthcare pathway from the outset, including clinicians, finance teams, procurement teams and suppliers. The cheapest product may not always deliver the best value; we should focus on the cost-effectiveness, or

The current challenges facing Value-Based Procurement Progress has been made; however, there are still challenges across healthcare systems in the UK. One of the most frequent problems is that health systems, and procurers in particular, have a difficult time distinguishing between Economic Valuation and Value (i.e. what does it cost versus what does it deliver and avoid). It is not effective to continue buying the same solutions as the past five years. It is crucial to be agile and to change with the times. One device or one solution won’t necessarily fix a problem. Procurement and clinical need to

Progress has been made; however, there are still challenges across healthcare systems in the UK

Procurement

value, of the required products and services, rather than simply their price. It is also beneficial to truly assess what we are purchasing. For example, will services be included or is it just a product that we are paying for? VBP is more than just products. Looking at the entire pathway means we can elevate the procurement position to make a wider contribution to efficiency, so there is more scope to support the NHS and their strategic objectives. The right products and processes may be able to provide treatment more effectively and minimise the risk of future complications arising, thus improving patient safety, and lowering the overall cost of care for that patient. To ensure procurement decisions are being made effectively, it is necessary to work with both industry and clinicians to consider solutions that could drive a reduction in total costs across the patient pathway.

be asking what support will be provided beyond the initial purchase. In the wrong hands, no solution will work, it must be paired with the right training and support to be properly embedded. It is also important to look at the tangible, measurable benefits beyond just price comparison. For example, some suppliers provide access to a range of support services and specialist educational programmes. Over recent years, the relationship between clinicians and procurement teams has transformed from “them and us” to one of collective respect and engagement with the procurement process used as an enabler in delivering improved patient care, which is why clinicians involve procurement teams from the very start. Clinical engagement is key in order to look at specific pathways and identify the challenges on the ground. By doing this, there will be a greater focus on improving patients’ lives and making a difference to clinical outcomes and efficiency. The role of industry partnerships in enhancing the decision-making process By working in close collaboration with NHS customers, MedTech suppliers can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, E

Procurement

As ICS gain traction, it will become more collaborative

F improve patient safety, and expand access to healthcare. There has been a shift towards VBP, with more incentives for procurement teams to improve the whole system, not just a single part of the pathway. It is more valuable to purchase solutions and services that maximise results and minimise costs during the course of a patient’s care. When considering practice versus guidance, it is helpful to see where hospitals can make improvements, based on what national guidance is saying compared to what is being done in practice. MedTech suppliers can provide

the necessary training, education, and guidance on the latest best practice guidelines, so that clinicians are supported to implement changes. Often clinicians have to work with what they have, however, the MedTech industry has the tools to take the pressure off. They are bridging the gap between clinical, procurement and Integrated Care Systems (ICS). MedTech can take the burden off the clinicians who don’t have spare time, by collecting and giving the data back to the clinicians to help them see where they can focus their investment moving forward. However, this is not a short-term fix; the NHS needs to establish long-term partnerships with MedTech suppliers. As ICS gain traction, it will become more collaborative, it could shift the thinking, so procurement decisions are no longer siloed. Adopting a clear, evidence-based strategy that supports the value proposition by demonstrating measurable improvements in patient outcomes, increased productivity, and lower overall healthcare costs is crucial. The clinical perspective Last year, a multidisciplinary expert panel convened to reach a consensus on how to improve aseptic technique to reduce bloodstream infections during vascular access procedures (Barton A et al. How to improve aseptic technique to reduce bloodstream

Procurement

infection during vascular access procedures. BJN. 2022;31(17): 880-885). The report showed that to promote compliance with best practice in aseptic technique, prevent Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) and achieve good outcomes for patients, there is a need to ensure that clinicians understand and select accordingly appropriately designed, evidencebased products. The report states for skin antisepsis during vascular access procedures: “the choice of the available licensed medical product must be considered as best practice. Its licence is based on research evidence that has been published, reviewed and validated. The evidence for the use of devices off-licence, however common their use, is less clear and likely carries greater risks for the patient and the health professional.” The right solution could treat a patient more successfully and reduce the likelihood that complications will occur in the future, enhancing patient safety and reducing the patient’s overall cost of care. Simon Clare, member of the multidisciplinary expert panel and Haematology Practice Development Lead, UCLH, says that successful decision making requires collaboration. “To effectively address problems that arise on the ground, decision-makers must be aware of what is going on at the front lines by working with clinicians.” If we collaborate more effectively together with finance, procurement and MedTech, it is more likely that patients can get

Value-based procurement has the power to improve patient outcomes the best possible outcomes and the pressures on healthcare systems could be reduced. The importance of collaboration across the entire NHS pathway Value-Based Procurement has the power to improve patient outcomes, lower costs, shorten wait times, and transform the healthcare industry. The MedTech industry can also help to ease the pressure on clinicians and procurement teams. Establishing these long-term partnerships can support a more collaborative environment for decision making. With the proper processes in place, looking beyond the product, but at the entire pathway, the procurement position can be elevated to make a wider contribution to efficiency and support the NHS with their strategic objectives. Collaborating with customers, health partners and patients enables MedTech suppliers to identify key clinical unmet needs and deliver solutions to address them. L FURTHER INFORMATION

To find out more about the example addressed in this article, visit: How to improve aseptic technique to reduce bloodstream infection during vascular access procedures Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Medical Equipment

Sustainability in medical equipment With environmental goals at trust and NHS level, there are different areas of healthcare to address. Waste from medical equipment is one area to look at Medical equipment waste is a big issue in healthcare. Sustainability in medical equipment is important as it ties in with wider goals of environmental responsibility, economic efficiency, and social well-being. This is important with the NHS’s net zero target and sustainability goals at trust and national level. This article looks at ways of improving sustainability in medical equipment, including using recyclable material and reusable elements, as well making them more energy efficient. There are many ways to improve the sustainability of medical devices, starting with the materials they are made with. This could be materials that are biodegradable or products that are made from recycled plastics. This applies to the material the equipment itself is made out of, as well as the packaging. Equipment should not automatically be designed to be thrown away in full when one part comes to the end of its life cycle. Individual parts can be replaced to increase lifespan.

Product design At the end of a product’s lifecycle though, equipment should be designed to be recycled, and easily disassembled so the recyclable and reusable components can easily be separated to be reused again. Durability is an important factor – products should be created for longevity, to reduce the turnover of new equipment. With electric equipment, it should be designed to be as energy efficient as possible, this could be using energy-efficient components, optimising designs for minimal energy consumption, and incorporating features like auto-shutdown when not in use. Those that work in the NHS can play a part too, by working sustainability into procurement. Put sustainability weightings into tenders and work with suppliers to reduce transportation emissions and minimise waste throughout the supply chain. Carry out life cycle assessments to work out the environmental impact of medical E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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There will also be work carried out on the real-time evaluation of the carbon footprint of manufacturing processes

Sustainable medical technology The Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) in Scotland has been awarded over three million to investigate sustainable medical technology. The centre said the funds would be used to expand research into durable and degradable polymers for devices. The Edinburgh-based group, a collaboration between Heriot Watt University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Dundee and RGU Aberdeen, has been awarded the money by Scottish Enterprise. The money will be used to address current challenges facing organisations like the NHS, exploring the inclusion and development of degradable or reusable polymers. The polymers are designed to have reduced environmental impact, and using them could help to make medical device manufacturing more sustainable. There will also be work carried out on the real-time evaluation of the carbon footprint of manufacturing processes and the safer removal of greenhouse gases in the NHS. Then wellbeing economy secretary Neil Gray said: “This funding will not only drive innovation across the healthcare landscape, but help produce more sustainable medical devices as we continue our transition to net zero. “Having previously supported the MDMC through the Scottish Government’s Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund, it is fantastic to

see these state-of-the-art facilities continuing to encourage collaborative working. “Innovation is a priority, and the National Innovation Strategy sets out plans to drive up our performance and compete with the best in the world over the next decade.” Professor Marc Desmulliez, manager of the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) based at Heriot-Watt University said: “This significant funding from Scottish Enterprise will enable us to continue to support and elevate Scottish medical device innovation, creating new and ground-breaking medical devices with global impact. “Scotland is brimming with entrepreneurs, but they need access to the right resources, facilities, and expertise at the right time to bring their products to market and benefit patient care. “We believe that companies are unable to fully realise the potential value of their medical device technologies due to the high costs and limited access associated with conducting clinical investigations, consulting health economists, and utilising cadaver models. “This next growth phase for the MDMC will further accelerate Scotland’s offering in this crucial sector, maintaining our world-leading stance in the field of medical device creation with a renewed focus on sustainability and environmentally sensitive manufacturing techniques.”L

Medical Equipment

F equipment from material extraction to disposal. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and make informed design decisions. You can also consider agreements where manufacturers take back spent materials at the end of the lifetime, so they can be reused and recycled appropriately.

Framework

Doors and more The Anti-ligature, Specialist and General Doors, Windows, Furniture, Accessories and Associated Services framework from NHS Commercial Solutions provides a streamlined route to a suite of pre-tendered professional services Available to all NHS organisations and public sector organisations, NHS Commercial Solutions offers delivery of anti-ligature, specialist and general doors, windows, furniture, accessories, and associated services. It facilitates the retro-fit of existing installations, ensuring they align with contemporary standards and requirements. The agreement has been established by NHS Commercial Solutions, on behalf of the Procurement in Partnership (PiP), a fourhub collaboration between NHS Commercial Solutions, East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub and NHS London Procurement Partnership and the NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative. With five lots and 13 suppliers, the framework will end on 26 September 2025. Here is a closer look at what is included: Lot 1: Consultancy and professional services covers professional consultancy services, such as site surveying, planning, design and drawing, safety audits, surveys, maintenance and repairs, space rationalisation, scoping, budgeting, reporting, quality monitoring, training services with the options to attend physical and online trainings. Lot 2: Anti-ligature doors, windows and furniture includes anti-barricade doors and devices, accessories, including anti-ligature fixtures for internal and external furniture, access hatches, access control devices, mirrors, curtain tracks/drop down rails, heating & radiator covers, washroom handles and dispensers. Lot 3: Specialist doors and furniture features including fire-rated, acoustic, thermal insulation, security, assisted, radiation resistant doors, PVC doors, environment control doors and windows. Lot 4: General Doors, Windows and Furniture offers internal and external doors – static, sliding, bi-fold, composite, concertina, Dowell construction, French, hardwood, ledged and braced, moulded, panelled, single, multi-glazed, gas filled panelled doors and windows, pre-

finished, room-dividers, roof windows, etc. and associated consumables. Lot 5: Bespoke offers a combination of all products and services from Lot 1 to Lot 4 and associated goods and services required for installation of these services. Benefits The framework agreement offers a legally compliant pathway to the market. With a streamlined procurement process, it reduces the time taken for procurement and ensures projects are executed more quickly. Vetted suppliers offer competitive pricing, meaning the framework is cost-effective. All suppliers on the framework have been preapproved for quality. The framework offers a retrofitting capability, meaning suppliers can adapt and upgrade existing installations to meet contemporary standards and requirements. L

Infection Control

Reducing the spread of illness With so many patients hospitalised with winter viruses, what can be done to prevent the spread in hospitals? HB takes a look at infection control in hospitals NHS figures are showing continued pressures on services from winter viruses. In the week ending 14 January, there were an average of 452 patients with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms in hospital each day – up by a fifth from 377 in a fortnight, and nearly a third higher than the same time last year (344). In the same week, there were also an average 3,949 patients with Covid (up 22 per cent on 3,248 a month before) and 1,416 patients in hospital with flu each day.

People visiting a hospital are likely already ill or injured and therefore are more susceptible to infection. For this reason, it is important that healthcare facilities meet stringent standards of cleanliness and infection control. Infections can increase the amount of time it takes for a patient to recover and therefore increases pressure on the NHS. The Care Quality Commission says that all providers should meet or exceed the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. The Code states: “Good infection prevention (including cleanliness) is essential to ensure that people who use health and social care services receive safe and effective care. Effective prevention and control of infection must be part of everyday practice and be applied consistently by everyone. “Good management and organisational processes are crucial to make sure that high standards of infection prevention (including cleanliness) are developed and maintained”. When it comes to infection control in hospitals, all healthcare providers should have an Infection Prevent and Control (IPC) policy, which is relevant to the location and specialism. The IPC policy should be regularly updated and available to all staff. Cleaning contractors should have a schedule, which includes the frequency of cleaning specific areas, and fixtures and fittings. Particular importance should be placed on items that are touched frequently, such as keyboards, telephones, door handles and light switches. What can staff do? It is important that staff are properly trained on infection control, this includes handwashing technique, use of disposable aprons and gloves, and recognising signs of infection. Waste disposal is an important area to manage. Bins should be easily accessible to staff and

Visitors It is important for visitors to also contribute to infection prevention. Healthcare staff and cleaning teams can do everything right, but remember that visitors can bring in infection too and they are unlikely to know as much about it as those working in the NHS, who experience this every day. Educating visitors is important and can help protect patients and reduce infection in the area. Clear signage should be displayed reminding people to wash their hands or use alcohol gel. In high-risk areas, for example, those visiting

Clear signage should be displayed reminding people to wash their hands or use alcohol gel

Infection Control

operated with a foot pedal (touch-free). Waste should be assessed and separated properly. Hazardous waste should also be stored in a designated bin and collected by an appropriate waste contractor and staff need to know which medicines to dispose of in each bin. Hand washing is incredibly important. Handwashing facilities must be available for all staff to adequately wash their hands in hot water using the correct technique. Liquid soap, paper towels and alcohol gel should be available.

vulnerable patients, verbal instruction can be used to ensure every precaution is taken to reduce spread of infection. People may not be admitted to a high-risk area if they do not take infection control measures. Hand washing facilities and alcohol gel should be provided for visitors, whether patients coming in for an outpatient or other appointment or relatives visiting someone on a ward. Everyone in a healthcare facility (staff, patients and visitors) should wash their hands when they are visibly dirty, after using the toilet, after sneezing, after contact with body fluid, before and after handling food and when visiting patients with diarrhoea. Masks can also be provided and encouraged for visitors to reduce the spread of air-borne infections. L

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Legionella

The risk from Legionella in public buildings The Legionella Control Association discusses how to address legionella Best practice for prevention Legionella is something that is often in the news but often the reporting lacks the underlying facts involved. The Bibby Stockholm situation recently and the temporary closure earlier in the year of the Police College at Tulliallan are examples of legionella news concerning government buildings. Both situations were reported in some quarters as outbreaks or as extremely dangerous events, which was not accurate. Positive samples from the water system is not an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease. If a building is in the public or political spotlight, reporting can sometimes exaggerate risks and failings.

Overview Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal type of pneumonia, a bacterial lung infection. The disease is contracted from bacteria of the genus Legionella, within a water-based aerosol, entering the lungs. Exposure is generally preventable if water systems are properly maintained. There are legal implications where there are failures to control this risk. Legionella growth is considered a risk regardless of the strain or species of Legionella. If you are responsible for a building with a water system, then you have a legal duty to control the risk. The risk associated with legionella and human infection was first identified in 1976, following E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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F an outbreak of a previously unidentified disease at an American Legion convention. The most recent data from Health and Safety Executive (HSE) suggests that on average there are over 250 clinically diagnosed cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in the UK every year. Legionella proliferation There are fundamental principles that reduce the risk of Legionella growth: avoid legionella growth temperatures (20-45oC); avoid stagnation so legionella doesn’t have time to grow; avoid materials of construction that will support growth; and control the release of water spray to minimise transmission risk. You should also keep the system and the water in it clean so nutrients for legionella are minimised; use water treatment techniques,

Legionella

The Law applicable to Legionella control in most settings is the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) particularly where any of the above cannot be controlled; and maintain the system properly. These principles form the basis of the requirements of HSEs Approved Code of Practice for the control of Legionella in water systems and underpin all the UK guidance. In practice, some of these can be a challenge. Pipework is often re-configured postconstruction and dead ends (sections that go nowhere so water does not move) can inadvertently be created in the pipework. Some areas of a building will have higher footfall/ usage than others, so water can stagnate more readily in some areas with no design fault. Heat can be lost or gained through poor insulation, lack of circulation or failing non-return valves. All these scenarios are common, and all increase the risk of Legionella proliferation. When the conditions for growth are right, then Legionella can grow. Once present, Legionella can be a challenge to remove. So, what does the law say? Legionella & the law The Law applicable to Legionella control in most settings is the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). This describes how it is the responsibility of an employer to protect their employees and any other stakeholders from risks that may arise from their undertaking. Stakeholders are any persons who may come E

Legionella

Premises where the Health and Safety at Work Act applies must have a legionella risk assessment F into contact with your water systems or aerosol produced by those systems during normal use. Legionella bacteria is considered a hazardous substance under The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) (2002)

Regulations. Risks must be assessed, and any identified risks must be either eliminated, substituted for lower risks or where this is not possible, control measures must be put in place to mitigate residual risk. Details of what must be done to control Legionella are published by HSE in the Approved Code of Practice for Legionella (ACoP L8). ACoPs have special legal status and you must either follow the provisions of an ACoP or be able to show that you have complied with the law in some other way, or a court will find you at fault. Detailed guidance and examples of how to comply with the law is published by HSE in Health and Safety Guidance (HSG) 274; this comes in three parts: the control of Legionella bacteria in Evaporative Cooling Systems; the control of Legionella bacteria in Hot and Cold water systems; the control of Legionella bacteria in other risk systems. ACoP L8 and the HSE guidance outline how to comply with the law and keep safe. They highlight the legal requirement for risk assessment; to assess the risk posed by your undertaking that may allow Legionella to proliferate. Where risks are identified, a written scheme of control is required to manage the identified risk. This is commonly achieved through maintaining control of water temperature, use of water treatment, regular cleaning of commonly fouled components, etc. together with regular monitoring and inspection to ensure the regime is effective.

Risk assessment Premises where the Health and Safety at Work Act applies must have a Legionella Risk Assessment. This identifies risks associated with water systems and includes recommendations for elimination or substitution of the risk and for Control Scheme tasks to mitigate residual risk. Risk assessment should be specific to water systems; with consideration given to individuals who may be exposed. Control measures Any risk that is present needs to be controlled to an acceptable level. The HSE uses the term as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), and this is the target level of risk. Legionella

Interim measures may be required until any identified issue can be resolved

Legionella

Legionella Control Association (LCA) The LCA Code of Conduct is highlighted in ACoP L8 (Paragraph 83) as guidance to what standards service users should expect. A voluntary membership with around 400 Members, LCA registered companies are specialists in Legionella Control. The Code has 28 requirements that must be followed with specific Service Delivery Standards for the eight Legionella control service areas. The LCA emphasises management procedures that members must have in place to deliver a consistent and compliant service. Members are audited for compliance with the code and service delivery standards requirements. Evidence is checked that procedures are being followed in practice. Where we find a member’s performance lacking, either at audit or as part of a complaint to us, we will suspend them in the short term and their membership will be terminated unless improvements are made.

control measures usually include maintaining temperature, use of water treatment, flushing and physical control. Positive Legionella results Around 13 per cent of all samples in the UK return a positive, so it’s not uncommon to have positive Legionella results. It’s important to act on a positive result to address the immediate risk (the symptom) and the underlying issues (the cause). Cleaning and disinfection is commonly used as an immediate risk reduction measure but a review of the risk assessment and identification of the underlying cause of the Legionella growth is critical. Interim measures may be required until any identified issue can be resolved. Summary Legionnaires’ disease is potentially fatal but is preventable. Employers and those in control of premises have a legal duty to ensure risks are identified and controlled. Legionella prosecutions can result in large fines and custodial sentences, and it is not necessary for there to be a death or case of disease for a successful prosecution. If your water system exposes stakeholders to risk of harm, you are committing an offence. L FURTHER INFORMATION

www.legionellacontrol.org.uk

Advertisement Feature

Industry Insight: Tackling damp and mould in hospitals Damp and mould in hospitals and other healthcare buildings can cause serious problems. In this Q&A, David Bly, managing director at Cornerstone Management Services Ltd investigates some of the causes and solutions

David Bly CSDB, Dewpoint, BDMA, AMCABE Managing director, Cornerstone Management Services Ltd David has been involved with the property damage industry sector for many years encompassing the assessment and dissemination of key property damage causes. His experience aligns to understanding damp, condensation and mould related issues in structures combining all industry approved surveying techniques to deliver a bespoke solution clients and occupants demand.

Damp and mould in healthcare settings can present serious problems for patients with weakened immune systems, respiratory

conditions, or allergies. This is an even bigger problem in hospitals when patients are already sick and vulnerable. However, damp and mould can be symptoms of a wider problem and it is important to tackle the route cause. We first discussed these health risks that come from having damp and mould in hospitals, for both patients and staff. David Bly said: “Mould spores are in the air all the time and, our personal metabolisms synchronise and manage them on an everyday basis. However, where mould develops in structures, the number of spores readily released is significant and can number in hundreds of thousands not visible to the naked eye. “Regarding mould being a health risk in hospitals for staff and patients, the quantity of airborne spores will be the same for all and, results in a reliance on our individual metabolisms for maintaining a healthy wellbeing. Therefore, patients will likely have compromises with their immune systems due to their present ailment and, this alone can lead to a potential deterioration in their ongoing health. “There is no safe level of airborne spores for this very reason and is why the most effective approach is to manage the internal environment and remove any outbreaks in a timely manner.” We then moved on to the causes of damp and mould in hospital buildings. David Bly highlighted the difference between damp and mould. He said: “Firstly, it would be prudent to confirm that damp and mould are two separate issues. Damp, whether penetrating, rising or from a leak, will readily

34 BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | www.healthbusinessuk.net

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show itself on a structure by either changing the colour, spoiling the paintwork, damaging plaster finishes, or blistering wallpaper. “Causes would require aligned investigations and bespoke repairs in order to rectify the issue.” He continued: “Mould is a symptom of a problem and, whilst there is a consideration a surface must be ‘damp’ for it to develop, it is worth noting nearly all outbreaks on a surface can be due to periods of surface condensation. “That being the case, the condensation is moreover a consequence of warm internal air coming into contact with the colder structures with causes of such likely due to inadequate air circulation and ventilation. “Whilst it is prudent to maintain an internal warmth for all building occupants, there is a requirement to change the air with drier external air for short periods and, this simple approach can significantly reduce the mould potential since it invariably requires a number of days of constant humidity conditions to initially develop. Changing the atmosphere can therefore aid breaking the humidity cycle.” Following on from this, David Bly explained how to treat damp and mould once it has been found and, even better, to prevent it in the first place. He said: “The prevention of damp aligns to timely investigations and repairs whereas the prevention of mould aligns to adequate ventilation and changes in the atmospheric conditions to ‘break the humidity cycle’.

“Dehumidifiers are useful for reducing the levels of atmospheric moisture however their operation also relies on manual emptying of containers as these also introduce moisture into the atmosphere. “Where windows can be opened for short periods, one consideration can be to open a minimum of two to create a cross-flow of air within the respective environment. At this time of the year, the external atmosphere in general holds less moisture in the UK than it does in the summer. However, we don’t tend to experience mould issues in the warmer months – because our windows are open upholding the movement of air through a building.” As damp and mould can pose serious health problems for patients, it is important to address the problem swiftly and effectively. The good news is that advice and services are available to do this. L FURTHER INFORMATION

www.cornerstone-ltd.co.uk info@cornerstone-ltd.co.uk 0345 846 0955

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Fire Safety

Automatic sprinklers: why maintenance matters The Business Sprinkler Alliance explains why it’s important to look after your sprinklers In an environment where everyone is trying to get value for money when spending, maintenance budgets often get squeezed. Ultimately a lack of, or inadequate maintenance, is directly correlated with increased expenditures in the long-term, in terms of equipment problems, shutdowns and failure. This is so crucial for fire protection systems where lives and property are on the line. Sprinkler systems are an extremely effective way of controlling the spread of fire, but like all systems they need to be maintained. If you neglect maintenance for too long, this can have serious consequences and the results can be devastating. Sprinklers are often unnoticed or underestimated, with people either not recognising their true value and benefits or disregarding them without fully exploring the opportunities they present. However, automatic sprinklers bring a multitude of positive benefits, ranging from enhancing life safety to safeguarding businesses, ensuring continuity,

and promoting sustainability. With a proven track record of success, the introduction of automatic sprinklers has a significant impact. But when you invest in these fire protection systems, an investment in maintenance is essential. Fire sprinkler systems are not a case of “fit and forget”. Like similar systems, they need to be considered as part of the emergency response to a fire to ensure that they are maintained in service. An installed fire sprinkler system is a key part of a building that requires inspection, maintenance, and testing to ensure a high degree of readiness and reliability. If the system is taken out of service for maintenance, then precautions are needed to handle ignition sources and repairs need to be expedited. As with other fire safety arrangements, they need ongoing assessment to ensure the hazard they are protecting still matches their design. If the hazard has changed then it needs to be recognised, considered and the protection adapted. E

Fire Safety

An ageing system may need some additional care F While individual sprinkler heads themselves are designed to require no servicing, trained and qualified professionals must periodically check valves, pipes, pumps and alarm components. Testing ensures open pathways for water to flow, an adequate supply of water, reliable alarms and a system ready to function. Sprinkler systems have demonstrated longevity similar to the life of a building when adequately maintained and cared for. An

ageing system may need some additional care to flush pipelines to ensure they remain free of corrosion and sprinklers heads may need testing as they approach their silver anniversary (25 years of service) to ensure they are still in good working order. Standards offer helpful guidance Where a sprinkler system is part of the fire strategy for a building, the property owners have the responsibility to maintain the sprinkler system. In the UK, the system may have been installed to the British Standards BS EN12845:2015 or BS 9251:2021 depending on the type of building. Both standards offer guidance on the type of inspection, maintenance and testing needed for the systems with helpful breakdowns into time periods to guide the owner. As noted above, using a trained and qualified professional carrying third party certification for the servicing work is another key aspect to ensure that you are receiving the right advice. Maintaining reliability Whilst the importance of regular maintenance and inspections cannot be stressed enough, sprinklers are an extremely effective way of controlling the spread of fire. There is clear evidence that properly maintained sprinklers work. In fact, the NFCC and the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) have worked together to investigate the effectiveness and reliability

Fire Safety

of sprinkler systems. In an independent report carried out by Optimal Economics, thousands of incidents have been analysed to provide a detailed and comprehensive view of the activation and performance of sprinkler systems used to control fire in buildings. The evidence shows that sprinkler systems have an operational reliability of 94 per cent and demonstrate when called to work they have a very high reliability. Furthermore, it is evident that when they do operate, they extinguish or contain the fire on 99 per cent of occasions across a wide range of building types, according to Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems in the United Kingdom: An Analysis from Fire Service Data – May 2017. When you consider the operational reliability of sprinklers being 94 per cent, this leaves 6 per cent of sprinkler systems that didn’t quite work in the way we expect them to. While not all of those are maintenance related, some of them may be. Change of mindset Moving forward, there needs to be a change in mindset when it comes to attitudes towards maintenance as has been signaled across the built environment. Take the analogy of our body and our heart, every now and then we need to give it some exercise to ensure it is in good working order and it needs a physical examination by a professional to ensure there are no issues. The same is essentially true for a sprinkler system. Just like our bodies, we know we need the exercise and checks, but put them off due to time, fear and cost. We can do similar things with sprinkler maintenance. In both cases we know better that ongoing exercise and checks by professionals provide critical

reassurance that we can and will perform when called upon. Automatic fire sprinkler systems have earned their reputation as a proven and indispensable tool in fire safety. When installed in a building, these systems significantly increase the chances of containing a fire at its early stages, even before the arrival of the fire and rescue service. Prioritising maintenance will ensure these systems serve as a vital lifeline in critical situations. L FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information about the BSA visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org

Automatic fire sprinkler systems have earned their reputation as a proven and indispensable tool

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Framework

A framework for facilities management NHS Shared Business Services Hard Facilities Management 2 Framework Agreement provides a compliant route to access a full range of hard facilities management products and services The framework, known as Hard FM, runs from 12 April 2022 until 11 April 2024, with an extension until 11 April 2026 and is free to access for all UK public sector bodies. The Hard FM Framework from NHS Shared Business Services is designed to respond to the need within the NHS for high-quality, innovative and cost-effective solutions, which helps NHS trusts manage their estates successfully. The framework offers a single service, bundled service provision or a fully managed service provision and lists SMEs and national providers. There’s also a network of regional suppliers for more reactive, bespoke services. The framework is made up of over 150 suppliers and claims to be able to achieve between five and ten per cent savings. This mix of expertise spans the provision of low carbon energy infrastructure, incorporating smart microgrids with on-site generation of renewable energy.

It also covers air cleaning, decontamination and infection control systems, as well as Covidsecure queue management systems and access control, partitioning, isolation and social distancing systems, and integrated workplace management systems. The framework offers a range of key services, including computerised estate & facilities management services; building works & maintenance services; power supply, fuel and steam plant; electrical installation and maintenance; ventilation, air conditioning, air cleaning and decontamination; infection control systems; automatic and fire doors and entry management systems; statutory inspections & rating support services; ancillary estate services; and hard FM managed services. From infection control through to the maintenance and upkeep of medical facilities and equipment, keeping a safe environment in healthcare settings has a direct bearing on E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CBRE’s specialist Healthcare Facilities Management Division now employs over 2,000+ people across the UK who are supporting the needs of our customers in the healthcare sector every day. Our footprint within the healthcare industry has grown substantially. We provide hard FM services to some of the highest profile healthcare facilities across the UK, including 300+ acute, mental health, and community healthcare properties. We truly understand the critical nature of the healthcare environment, specific legislation and the importance of compliance with regulatory requirements such as HTM and CQC. The key, current healthcare focuses we are supporting our clients with are enhancing patient care, clearing backlog maintenance, hard services compliance & risk management and ESG and the road to Net Zero. We are thrilled to announce the launch of our groundbreaking Healthcare Value

Proposition in the Facilities Management Industry. This innovative approach is designed to revolutionise how healthcare facilities are managed, ensuring a safer, more efficient, and patient-centred environment. Optimise your estate to enhance patient care Partner with us in this journey, as we set new standards in healthcare facilities management. L FURTHER INFORMATION

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42 BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | www.healthbusinessuk.net

Framework

The framework lists 154 suppliers across 46 lots F patient safety and care, the wellbeing of the NHS workforce and that of the wider public. The 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 other public sector bodies. It can provide up to 10 per cent savings for Estate, Facilities and Capital Development teams that buy services through it. Lots and suppliers The framework lists 154 suppliers across 46 lots. For the suppliers on the framework, a detailed procurement exercise has already been carried out, to ensure that they meet all legislative requirements. This means no formal tendering is required and valuable time and money can be saved in the procurement process. With competitive pricing, the framework ensures capped pricing during the framework period to support budgeting and calculation of benefits realised by participating authorities. Buying The framework offers the possibility to direct award, giving freedom and flexibility to procurement teams to choose the suppliers they wish within the remit of the agreement. There is also the option to take advantage of a fully managed service and award one supplier to perform all the services offered within the scope of the framework agreement.

Facilities management Effective facilities management in healthcare buildings is important for a number of reasons. Not only does it ensure smooth operations, but it also sets a good impression on patients, staff and visitors – and can indeed contribute to effective recovery and wellbeing of patients. Clean, safe and well-run buildings enable healthcare workers to focus on their job – that of treating and caring for patients – without distraction. Hospitals are emotional places, and having properly managed facilities can have a significant impact on employee morale and increase staff productivity. Significantly, having properly managed facilities enables the NHS to save much-needed cash. Effectively managing premises, systems and equipment will reduce maintenance issues and help the focus shift to prevention rather than treatment. L

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Energy

Generating energy on site The NHS is the first health service in the world to embed net zero into legislation, with a goal of reaching net zero by 2040 for emissions it directly controls and 2045 for emissions it can influence and every trust must play its part. Leeds Teaching Hospitals has recently installed a solar canopy over a car park at Wharfedale Hospital The £1.1 million project will provide sustainable solar power to the hospital, reduce its reliance on conventional energy sources and therefore reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint. It is anticipated that the 617 solar panels will reduce carbon emissions by 43.7 tonnes per year and save the Trust £75,000 annually. The electricity generated will also reduce the use of grid electricity by 15 per cent, this is the equivalent to powering 60 UK households. Solar panels generate electricity from the sun – so the energy is essentially free. Eventually, solar panels end up paying for themselves and represent significant savings on energy bills. This money can then be spent elsewhere, for example maintenance and infrastructure improvements or on the day-to-day running costs – which can then in turn lead to improved facilities and better care for the community.

Long-term investment With a lifespan of 25 years or more, solar panels represent a long-term investment. The initial set up and maintenance costs are paid for in the savings made against traditional energy tariffs. The electricity produced by solar panels is clean and renewable and does not emit greenhouse gases or pollutants. By reducing reliance on fossil fuels, buildings with solar panels contribute to lower carbon emissions and help combat climate change. This is especially important with the NHS’s net zero goals. By reducing the demand for fossil fuels, solar panels can improve air quality and therefore improve health outcomes in the local area and further afield. Craige Richardson, director of estates and facilities at LTHT, said: “The solar canopy E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Energy

“It’s a real positive that the power required to run Wharfedale Hospital will be partly supplied by green energy”

F at the Wharfedale site exemplifies the Trust’s dedication to both environmental sustainability and the health and well-being of the communities we serve. It’s a real positive that the power required to run Wharfedale Hospital will be partly supplied by green energy, especially as the energy demands for the site will increase with the opening of a permanent Elective Care Hub.” This investment is part of the Trust’s longterm plans to develop services at Wharfedale Hospital, which also includes a proposed £15m Elective Care Hub. This hub will include two new theatres, a recovery area, admissions and discharge area alongside making an existing ward operational overnight. Sustainability projects The Trust has been at the forefront of investing in energy-efficient projects, with an impressive commitment of over £22 million. These projects, including the canopy, have been made possible through successful bids for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Government funding. The range of initiatives implemented by the Trust includes the installation of heat pumps and state-of-the-art LED lighting, building fabric upgrades, and connections to Leeds PIPES, a low-carbon district heating network. According to its Green Plan, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has a vision to be the best for specialist and integrated care and improve the health of patients through the provision

Energy

Over the past decade, the Trust has achieved a 34 per cent reduction in carbon emissions of high-quality care. In order to provide the best quality care and improve quality of life for patients, the Trust recognises that it needs to reduce its impact on the environment. Since Leeds City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019, organisations and individuals across the city have been working towards the goal of making Leeds a zerocarbon, nature-friendly and socially just place to live. The Trust, which is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in the UK, aims to become one of the greenest NHS hospital trusts in the UK and play a central role in reducing carbon emissions across the city. Net zero Over the past decade, the Trust has achieved a 34 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

The key elements of the Trust’s green plan are to ensure the Trust aligns with the wider NHS ambition to be the first healthcare system in the world to reach net zero carbon emissions; prioritise interventions that will enable the Trust to continue improving patient care whilst delivering carbon reductions and improving sustainability performance; and support increasing efficiency throughout the organisation. L FURTHER INFORMATION

www.leedsth.nhs.uk

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Rewired 2024

Addressing the challenge of nursing documentation Head of Rewired 2024, Helen Balsdon looks at how to tackle the issue of paper documentation

A common misconception I often hear about nursing and midwifery documentation is that it’s an IT issue – if we go out and buy the right systems, the challenges we face in documenting practice will be resolved. The truth is that digital is the how, not the why, and to be able to harness the power of technology, we first need to be clear what we document. Addressing the foundations is essential to end the culture of creating endless reams of documentation to evidence the care we deliver. In my role in the national Chief Nursing Information Officers (CNIO) team, I’ve witnessed pockets of fantastic initiatives

to address the challenge of overwhelming amounts of documentation head on. We have seen several paper picnics run by nurse leaders across England. Paper picnics seek to make visible the volume of nursing documentation that exists across an organisation by placing it on the floor to help visualisation. It’s a pretty sombre image seeing paperwork stretched way out across rooms, and if you look closely, you will see the duplication and old versions that never got taken out of use. This is why we took a national approach, seeking the views of nurses and midwives across England to create the guidance Towards a unified vision of nursing and midwifery documentation. The guidance sets out the principles of good documentation practice through standardised and succinct approaches and is relevant to organisations and teams, whether recording on paper or through an electronic patient record. The good thing about Towards a unified vision of nursing and midwifery documentation, is that it was not designed as a one-size-fits all E

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Rewired 2024

This will take time and require patience, but through the collective power of nursing and midwifery we can collaborate with colleagues to instigate these changes – I encourage you to lead, be part of the conversation, help inform what is needed and be the change. This is just the start of the journey. L

Learn more on the standardisation of documentation in nursing and midwifery at Digital Health’s Rewired 2024 on 12-13 of March. FURTHER INFORMATION

digitalhealthrewired.com F solution, but recognises the local requirements, whether it’s the geographical differences, structures, or if your organisation is not the most digitally mature, the principles are still applicable to inform your conversations. For these recommendations to be realised, we need proactive leadership from the nursing and midwifery community to put the guidance into practice. Chief Nurses have a role to play to provide direction, to inspire, support and enable the workforce in realising this vision. Digital nurses, subject matter experts and those using the documentation need to work together to understand different perspectives and work together to lead changes to improve processes that meet their needs and use the technology they have available to them, to make the right thing the easy thing to do. The burden of documentation has been such an issue for a long time that you might be questioning why change it now? As many organisations are moving paper-based systems into digital record keeping, the true scale of documentation nurses and midwives complete has been exposed. I’ve been overwhelmed by the appetite from colleagues ready to tackle this and build a better way of working that releases time to care and supports improved decision making. There is so much more to follow as we continue the work to manage documentation in the digital world. Looking forwards, we are seeking to implement a common language to document care that means we can share data in a way that helps us be smarter and faster together and look at how advanced technology, such as voice recognition, might support our work.

Helen Balsdon, Interim CNIO, NHS England As Interim CNIO at NHS England, Helen Balsdon seeks to ensure that nursing practice is supported by digital technology and data science and that nurses are equipped to work and lead in an digitally enabled environment. Helen is also responsible for the digital clinical safety strategy and interoperable medicines programme. Prior to joining the team, Helen was CNIO/Head of Nursing at Cambridge University Hospitals. This was a strategic role working across the organisation providing clinical leadership for all aspects of informatics including adoption and use of new ways of working using technology. Helen is passionate about using technology to support the delivery of high quality, evidence-based care and empowering patients in managing their own health record.

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Technology

Using AI to improve healthcare AI is being rolled out across the NHS in an effort to solve more problems more quickly and free up time and money The NHS recently announced it will use AI to spot patients at risk of going to hospital, so community NHS teams can get to them first and reduce pressures on A&Es. The move was part of a range of tech and data solutions being rolled out across the NHS ahead of winter. Currently, four GP practices in Somerset are trialling an AI system which can highlight registered patients with complex health needs, at risk of hospital admission or who rarely contact their GP and reach out to them for conversations about their health. Those most at risk will then be contacted by health coaches, nurses, or GPs, who can provide a range of preventive care such as offering vulnerable patients food parcels, escalating care to specialist doctors, putting in support to avoid falls, or link them up with a local voluntary group to help avoid loneliness. In Buckinghamshire, AI linked to electronic sensors on kettles and fridges that spot changes in patients’ eating and drinking habits is being used. Any changes are then flagged with a non-clinical Onward Care team who speak to

patients, solving 95 per cent of their issues or escalating anything clinical. In Birmingham, NHS teams are trialling an approach which uses an algorithm to predict the top 5 per cent at risk of potential hospital attendances or admissions. Staff can check in to offer social care assessments, medication reviews or other social prescribing measures to avoid A&E admissions. It is hoped that over the next two years, 4,500 unnecessary A&E attendances and 17,000 overnight hospital stays will be prevented and 23,000 GP appointments will be freed up. NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “This suite of tech and data solutions ahead of winter demonstrates how NHS staff across the country are innovating every step of the way, maximising the use of the latest technology and AI to help patients but also significantly reducing the number of avoidable A&E attendances. “They are identifying the most at-risk or vulnerable patients and wider issues affecting their health, so teams can get to them early and help avoid an unnecessary visit to hospital – not only are these measures better for patients who can be cared for at home where they feel most comfortable but they are good for the NHS too, particularly when we know that this winter is likely to be incredibly challenging. “NHS staff across the country are already feeling the pressure with record demand for A&E and ambulance services – and so these new innovations being rolled out by NHS teams are an extra and welcome addition to our winter toolkit, with more call handlers and more beds already in place.” NHS England director of system transformation, Matt Neligan, said: “Using joined up data across integrated care systems gives us a much deeper insight into the full range of needs for different population groups and the drivers of health inequalities. “We are now seeing the NHS and its partners across the country able to use tools and techniques like AI and a population health management approach to identify people at E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Parkinson’s The Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) has also been working with the NHS’s AI Skunkworks to develop a tool to help speed up diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease by using AI to automatically identify areas of interest for manual follow-up. There are more than 10 million annual diagnoses of Parkinson’s Disease around the world and it is the world’s fasted growing neurological disorder. The number of diagnoses is expected to double over the next 50 years. Accurate diagnosis and grading from brain tissue after death is needed in order to more fully research and understand the pathological causes and develop potential new treatments for Parkinson’s Disease. However, at the moment, brain changes can only be assessed manually, and the amount of time this takes (around four to six hours) is hindering the speed and scale of research. There is also a worldwide shortage of trained neuropathologists and it is hoped that partly automating their job would increase the number of cases each researcher can examine, therefore saving time and costs. A 12-week project in partnership with Parkinson’s UK, which enabled access to the charity’s brain bank at Imperial College London, was launched to investigate. The brain bank has more than 1,300 brains from people with Parkinson’s and healthy donors as well.

The charity developed a dataset with 401 digitised images of brain sections immunostained to detect alpha-synuclein (asyn), (a protein which is the pathological marker of Parkinson’s), including 100 control cases from healthy donors. Polygeist from ACE’s Vivace community then repurposed existing technology to exclude other types of brain matter that were not needed for this process. They were then able to synthetically stain slides of brain tissues using the iDeepColour neural network, which highlights and stains areas affected by a-syn. Areas of interest turned bright green, so they were easily identifiable. Researchers were also able to establish disease density by chopping up the original image, and slicing it into squares. Polygeist were able to go on to develop a proof-of-concept classifier which produced around a 92 per cent accuracy hit rate on automatically classifying Parkinson’s from digitised images of brain sections, with no false alarms. The new process means it is now possible to assess one brain in minutes, compared to the previous four-six hours. Neurologists are now able to focus on more complex cases. It is hoped the tool will soon be viable for realworld applications. Other uses being considered included looking at proteins which indicate dementia or using the technique with brain scans on live patients.L

Technology

F highest risk of admission and support them before they need hospital treatment. We’re increasingly able to find those individuals early and offer targeted, preventative and personalised healthcare.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

For more information on how AI is being used to learn about Parkinson’s Disease, please click here.

National Cyber Security Show

Registration is now open for National Cyber Security Show 2024 The National Cyber Security Show is set to return to NEC Birmingham from 30 April to 2 May 2024, promising to be bigger and better than its predecessors. Registration is now open, allowing visitors to attend this outstanding cybersecurity showcase for free

Following its successful 2023 edition, this year’s National Cyber Security Show aims to unite the UK approach to tackling cyber threats and protecting our digital world. There has never been a more critical time to prioritise cybersecurity on every UK business’s agenda. The show intends to give companies a better understanding of current and upcoming threats, providing practical and robust methods to increase cybersecurity resilience and better protect the supply chain. Alongside brand showcases on the exhibition floor, live demonstrations, exclusive product launches, and industryleading exhibitors, visitors can look forward to hours of innovative and forwardthinking, free, CPD-accredited content. CPD-accredited conference theatres The Cyber Solutions Theatre, crucial to cybersecurity for individuals, organisations, and wider society, puts a comprehensive focus on cyber essentials, security network fortifications, and providing skills and actionable insights on utilising technology to maximise security. Attendees can hear case studies and expert seminars from cyber game-changers and pivotal solution providers such as Threatlocker,

Knowbe4, Wipro, Setyl, Little Fish, and more. An unmissable aspect of NCSS, the high-level Cyber Conference explores the new age of threats and the steps and strategies to mitigate growing risks to the UK’s cybersecurity through a fantastic lineup of keynotes, interactive discussion panels, and content sessions. Visitors will receive the latest best-practice guidance for managing and securing the digital supply chain. The program and speakers will be released in the coming weeks. Key exhibitors The exhibition floor will include some of the cyber industry’s biggest and best brands, including Arctic Wolf Networks UK, AT-RACK, ControlCase, CREST, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, DigitalXRAID Ltd, Equilibrium Security Services, Hedgehog Security, KnowBe4, Little Fish, Meridian IT, Mindgard, National Crime Agency, Nettitude, Nine23, Setyl, Socura, ThreatLocker, Wipro, Zebra Software, and many more. There will be a series of live demonstrations, drop-in clinics, free consultations where visitors will be able to speak to the experts directly. Pavilions This year at the show, we have three BRAND NEW pavilions. The IASME Pavilion is an essential destination for cybersecurity experts looking to safeguard their online presence and stay one step ahead of adapting digital threats. Here, you’ll benefit from engaging with The IASME Consortium and various partners to explore your digital

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their projects from the academic realm to commercial viability, all thanks to DSIT’s customised support program: Cyber ASAP. Networking There will be a host of networking initiatives in and around the show, including Connect+ Live, a hosted meetings program for a bespoke buyer-seller matchmaking service. As well as a hosted program, we will have the Cyber House Party who will be DJ-ing at the networking bar at the end of each day, the perfect opportunity to expand your network and meet your peers.

National Cyber Security Show

defense requirements and understand how IASME can offer certification solutions for your business. In partnership with CREST, this pavilion will explore the ever-evolving landscape of the digital age, safeguarding information has become increasingly critical. It’s imperative for all businesses to place their trust in cybersecurity businesses that possess a proven track record of reliability and expertise. If you’re in search of a cybersecurity solution that has undergone meticulous scrutiny and accreditation through a stringent audit process, your quest ends here. Visitors will also be able to engage in networking opportunities at the techUK Pavilion with techUK delegates and affiliated exhibitors, who will share insights, solutions, and advice for addressing your cybersecurity challenges collaboratively. Explore cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions while fostering a collaborative problem-solving approach. Finally, The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) Pavilion takes on the crucial role of elevating the UK to the forefront of global technological progress. The companies featured within the new pavilion have received funding to transition

Co-located events To maximise your time onsite, the National Cyber Security Event is co-located with four other industry-leading events; The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event, The Workplace Event, The Security Event. Your free pass gives you access to all these shows, providing access to the full buying chain of the safety and security of people, places, and assets. M FURTHER INFORMATION

Register today and secure your FREE pass for the National Cyber Security Show at: www.nationalcybersecurityshow.com/psi-group

Careers

A whole-region approach to streamlining and supporting NHS careers Catherine Langstreth, assistant principal of curriculum and stakeholder engagement, Bolton College explains how people in Bolton are supported into NHS careers The role of education providers in sustaining and supporting the healthcare workforce cannot be overstated. But no one provider can do this in isolation. In Bolton, we’ve worked hard to establish and cement partnerships with other key players to allow us to take a wholeregion approach in helping people get on the right pathway for a healthcare career, and thrive once they’re in that role. This collaborative, consolidated approach can help to address two critical areas for the NHS: staffing shortfalls, and skills gaps within the existing workforce. Crucially, it also means we can support people from ground zero - whether they are 16 years old or adults looking to re-skill – all the way through the learning journey and into continuing professional development (CPD). What does this whole-region approach look like in Bolton? We’ve worked hard to achieve this in recent years. Collaboration

Careers

It’s about presenting what different routes are available so that each person can consider what the best option might be for them

is partly enabled through the Bolton Vision partnership, which brings together key public sector service providers, and partly through proactively setting up a monthly meeting with key practitioners within Bolton NHS Trust, the University of Bolton and Bolton College. We’re part of the University of Bolton group, which means we have a close relationship with the University and with the University Collegiate secondary school, in terms of feeder routes to help people progress. But we’re also striving to go further and work closely with other education institutions, from primary and secondary schools to other further education providers, to clearly map out all the pathways open to people to pursue a career in health.

Outreach This is in direct response to one fundamental challenge that the NHS is experiencing right now. It simply cannot cope with demand from schools and colleges to deliver educational outreach days – which typically entails engaging with each school or college on an individual basis, and is a huge resource strain on an already stretched workforce. We need to help streamline this. We’re speaking to other education providers and stakeholders to do just that. Our ambition is to develop a single Bolton-wide prospectus that outlines all health career options for people in Bolton, and all the feeder routes into that, whether it be T Levels, apprenticeships, A Levels, or community access courses. It’s not about competing with other education providers. It’s about presenting what different routes are available so that each person can consider what the best option might be for them, and so that no child or adult who aspires to work in healthcare is left behind. This year, we also intend to deliver a single Bolton NHS careers day, where the University E

Careers

This funding is invested into projects that tackle the priorities that emerged from the employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plan for each area F group, local schools and the local community will come together to showcase pathways into NHS careers. Hopefully, this makes educational outreach more manageable for our local NHS Trust and sets a precedent for years to come. Regional partnerships have also helped us to create new opportunities for those not in education. For example, we’ve established new community pathways for adult learners, for which we have devolved funding in Greater Manchester. We’ve collaborated with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Bolton Council on how best to use that funding, and are subsequently running programmes across community centres offering routes back into study. The implication for health careers? We have one cohort of learners who participated in a community healthcare taster course, went on to complete Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships at the College, and graduated last year from the University of Bolton with nursing degrees. Creating local routes for local jobs in our NHS is a fantastic outcome from taking a collaborative approach – and it’s delivered a new group of nurses who might otherwise never have set foot on that path.

Skills gaps Providing a strong pipeline of NHS employees is only one part of the problem. The other big part is plugging any skills gaps among existing clinical staff. This includes ensuring that technology that could help to ease NHS pressures can actually be used effectively. In autumn 2023, the government announced a £30 million investment into medical technology for the NHS – but if staff don’t have the necessary skills to utilise that, its impact will be limited. In November 2023, Bolton College was part of a cohort of Greater Manchester Colleges awarded almost £8.5 million in the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF). This funding is invested into projects that tackle the priorities that emerged from the employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plan for each area. In Greater Manchester, we’re the College leading on the health initiative for LSIF. We’re working with Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, based in Manchester, to create an assessment tool that can assess the digital skills of the workforce. Digitisation Starting with midwifery, we’ll be working across different departments to establish whether staff can effectively use different devices and

Careers

If we are to tackle these issues successfully, we need consolidated regional approaches software. Patient records is an example of one area we’ll be looking at. Paper is still relied upon heavily within Trusts, with notes at the end of patients’ beds and no link between hospitals and GPs. We’ll be assessing what areas of a digitised patient record system staff might find difficult, and whether they require additional digital training. It could also flag the need for training in other areas. For example, staff may need to improve their English skills if it’s their second language. At the moment, it’s largely all guesswork as to where skills gaps really are and where training is required. Our assessments can standardise that process and make it easier to identify barriers. We’ll be sharing our findings across Greater Manchester, as they will be relevant for other Trusts in the region. So, whether it’s mapping out the different routes available to local people to put them on the right path for a health career, creating opportunities for those who may think the door

has closed, or establishing and addressing skills gaps within the existing NHS workforce, collaboration is key. If we are to tackle these issues successfully, we need consolidated regional approaches up and down the country, and I think Bolton could serve as a brilliant model for Trusts or education providers looking to forge closer partnerships. L

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Solving staffing issues in the NHS It is well publicised that the NHS is facing significant staffing problems. In this Q&A, Michelle Holmes from Holmes & Partners Ltd, discusses how to address staffing problems in the NHS

Michelle Holmes, founder, Holmes & Partners Ltd Michelle Holmes is the founder of Holmes & Partners Ltd, with extensive immigration advisory experience. Drawing from personal immigration experiences and years of immigration advisory work, she offers guidance and support to visa applicants, ensuring they navigate their immigration journey with confidence and assurance.

Almost every sector, trust and profession in the NHS is currently going through staffing struggles. Michelle Holmes takes a look at what is causing this and what can be done to address it. We first began discussing what has caused staff shortages in the NHS. Michelle Holmes said: “The NHS grapples with mounting pressure due to surging healthcare demand, driven by various factors. An aging population requires more medical care, while rising chronic illnesses demand ongoing treatment.

The COVID-19 pandemic further strained the healthcare workforce. Attracting and retaining skilled professionals like doctors and nurses remains a persistent challenge due to heavy workloads, burnout, and comparatively low compensation. These factors deter potential healthcare workers and prompt existing ones to exit the field. “Brexit has significantly impacted the NHS workforce, making it harder to recruit foreign healthcare professionals due to new immigration rules. Insufficient funding and training opportunities hinder the influx of new healthcare talent. Diversity remains an issue, with efforts needed to ensure an inclusive workforce that caters to diverse healthcare needs. “Moreover, staffing shortages are unevenly distributed across the UK, with rural and less affluent areas facing more acute deficits. This creates disparities in healthcare access. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive solutions, including increased funding, workforce development, diversity promotion, and measures to recruit skilled healthcare professionals.” The shortages are having an effect on the NHS. Michelle Holmes pointed out: “Mounting demand and staff shortages lead to longer wait times, delayed care, and reduced accessibility, adversely affecting patient outcomes. “Staffing deficits compromise care quality, with overworked and stressed professionals at risk of medical errors and patient safety lapses. “Attracting and retaining healthcare talent remains challenging. Heavy workloads contribute to staff burnout, eroding morale and increasing turnover rates. “Geographic staffing imbalances create health disparities. Rural and underserved areas experience limited access to care, worsening health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups. “Insufficient funding for healthcare education limits workforce development and future talent, exacerbating shortages.

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“A lack of workforce diversity hinders cultural competence and addressing diverse healthcare needs. “The strain on healthcare strains NHS finances and government budgets, potentially diverting resources from other vital services.” Having said all of this, there are shortterm fixes to the staff shortages in the NHS, as Michelle Holmes highlighted: “Utilising existing staff for overtime and hiring temporary healthcare workers can help fill immediate gaps. This approach provides flexibility and helps meet increased demand during peak periods. “Encouraging retired healthcare professionals to return to work on a temporary or part-time basis can provide a quick influx of experienced staff. Additionally, healthcare workers who have recently left the profession may be incentivised to return. “Deploying medical and nursing students, as well as trainees, under the supervision of experienced professionals can help ease the workload. These students can assist with nonspecialised tasks, freeing up qualified staff for more critical duties. “Hospitals and healthcare facilities can redistribute staff from lower-demand areas or non-urgent services to departments facing acute shortages. This approach optimises resource allocation. “Exploring fast-track immigration routes for qualified international healthcare workers can provide immediate relief. Streamlined visa processes can expedite their entry into the UK. “Offering flexible work arrangements, such as shorter shifts or modified schedules, can help healthcare staff manage burnout and maintain productivity.” Looking to the future, Michelle Holmes pointed to some of the long-term solutions to the problem: “Addressing long-term staff shortages in the NHS necessitates a comprehensive and sustained approach to bolster the healthcare workforce: “Significantly increase funding for healthcare education and training programs to expand the pool of future healthcare professionals. This entails substantial investment in medical schools, nursing programs, and allied health training institutions. “Implement robust workforce development strategies to support continuous training, skill enhancement, and career progression for current healthcare staff. Initiatives should include mentorship programs and lifelong learning opportunities.

“Develop and execute strategies to both attract and retain healthcare professionals. This includes competitive compensation packages, student loan forgiveness programs, and initiatives to enhance work-life balance. “Prioritise the mental and emotional wellbeing of healthcare personnel, offering resources to manage stress and combat burnout. Establish supportive work environments that foster job satisfaction. “Create clear and efficient immigration policies that facilitate the recruitment of international healthcare workers. This involves streamlined visa procedures and recognition of international qualifications. “Implement strategies to enhance diversity in the healthcare workforce, including recruitment from underrepresented backgrounds and culturally sensitive training. “These comprehensive, long-term solutions necessitate sustained commitment, collaboration among stakeholders, and datadriven planning. By addressing the root causes of staff shortages, the NHS can build a resilient healthcare workforce that effectively meets the evolving needs of the population.” The NHS staffing problems are widespread, and will not be solved overnight, however, there are things that can be implemented at organisation level and long-term plans for those higher up, that will make a difference. L FURTHER INFORMATION

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Communications

Stakeholder communications ten principles for doing it right It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly We often find that healthcare providers - from hospitals to health tech businesses - have effective press and communications teams, but need to up-skill in cases involving risk and reputation, when campaigning for a specific objective, or when managing a wider stakeholder universe. In these cases, the requirements go far beyond press releases and interview requests, but with the right expertise, the results can be transformative. Here are ten examples: 1. Risk and reputation Some of the most important results achieved in comms projects have been the stories you don’t see, rather than the stories you do. Every day, behind the scenes at a hospital for example, there are local journalists asking thorny questions; residents’ groups on Facebook

complaining about traffic congestion, parking or noise; unfounded insinuations or gossip; or potential scandals that threaten to undermine public confidence in the organisation. It takes a team of highly skilled people to anticipate, mitigate and compensate these stories and ensure they don’t go viral. Tip: stay ahead of the story and keep control of the narrative. 2. Rapid response Much of comms strategy boils down to two factors: opportunities and threats. You need to be quick to take advantage of the former and to head off the latter, but in an organisation on the scale of a Foundation Trust, decisionmaking is often done by committee and all too slowly. Having a senior comms person with the autonomy to make quick decisions is essential, or failing that an experienced team with direct E Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Communications

NHS comms teams are often highly skilled at behaviour change campaigns F channels and escalation protocols in place so that responses can be coordinated and decisive. Tip: almost 100% of the time, any response is better than no response. But somebody needs to take responsibility for the risk. 3. Mega-projects A mega-project is defined as a project that is delivered by a consortium of more than one major organisation – for example, a hospital that has joined forces with its local university, college, town council and central Government. It is vitally important to have expert PR advisors at the top table, reporting directly to the Project Development Group. Tip: a comms steering group, chaired by the PR advisors, should convene at least fortnightly to ensure consistency of message and output. 4. Funding bids When applying for much-needed funding, it won’t be the PR campaign alone that wins it. But this is a vital component. Here again we see the recurring theme of competition. When multiple institutions are applying for a finite supply of money, a decisive factor is persuasion. This includes showcasing a reputable and credible leadership team, demonstrating excellence in delivery, or proving that you have a robust improvement plan in place where necessary. Tip: think about what appears on the first page of Google when a third party searches your organisation. Would a well-placed, welltimed press interview improve the picture? 5. Community engagement NHS comms teams are often highly skilled at behaviour change campaigns. It’s a key aspect of looking after public health. Campaigns such as anti-smoking or new parent support can be very rewarding as they directly deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives. But there are other more nuanced change campaigns that you need to consider every day, especially where some of our audience may hold less than favourable opinions. Turnaround of public sentiment can appear to be an unfathomable task but it can be achieved with good PR strategy: listening as well as

talking, staying on-message and demonstrating transparency and delivery on promise. Tip: understand the concept of micro-influencers as well as macro. “Hyperlocal” voices such as local residents’ committees can be powerful allies once you’ve found an alignment of interests. 6. Recruitment The NHS skills and workforce crisis is always in the headlines. With a finite pool of talent and competition from outside the sector threatening to sap away skilled people, your recruitment, retention and employer brand all require a campaigning mindset. Tip: identify the “heroes” in your organisation. There’s a reason they work here. Find out what it is and incentivise them to tell that story in the form of a case study or an award nomination. People love being celebrated for the excellent work they do. 7. Promotion and publicity Let’s not forget that, like any job, there’s an inevitable need for healthcare professionals to give the best account of themselves. You may not be “selling” anything, but certain marketing principles still apply: healthcare is competitive and target-driven, and you need the outside world to perceive you how you want to be perceived. This means communicating a consistent picture of what you’re doing well. If you don’t tell that story, nobody else will tell it for you. Tip: not everyone is comfortable being a “self-publicist”. But sharing insights from your work on channels like LinkedIn and internally with staff is a good start.

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9. External politics As arguably our most vital public service, healthcare providers will already have a close working relationship with their local elected representatives. In dealings with councillors and MPs, you should always take a campaigning mindset – because they certainly do. Many PR principles transfer into public affairs, but with certain key differences. For example, you need to tell your story concisely and compellingly, whether briefing a journalist or an MP, however the big difference is the journalist does not work for you and owes you no favours. The politician

In every organisation, especially the larger ones, there is always a complex web of vested interests

Communications

8. Internal politics Healthcare is not unique in being rife with workplace politics. In every organisation, especially the larger ones, there is always a complex web of vested interests, competing departments, disagreements on strategic direction, or simply teams that are so absorbed in their work that they aren’t fully informed on what other teams are doing. This is why an internal comms strategy is essential, to navigate the differing stakeholders and to find alignment of purpose. Tip: this is where an external (and therefore impartial) advisor such as a PR agency is necessary.

on the other hand will actively help if your call to action is clear and sensible. Tip: look for alignment of interests. If your key ask can be linked to a pledge or policy of theirs, you’re more likely to achieve a result. 10. Transformation By now I hope it’s clear that clever communications don’t just lead to reputation and relationship outcomes. Fundamental operational requirements, from regulatory compliance to adoption of new technology, all depend on the hearts and minds of people. The very definition of a campaign is an organised course of action to achieve a goal. Whatever the change you’re trying to drive, if you build the principles of public relations into your strategy, you’re shortening the odds in your favour. L

By Oliver Chesher, founder and managing director, Galibier PR

Social Care

Making the economic argument for social care Prof. Vic Rayner (OBE), CEO of the National Care Forum asks why social care is never mentioned in the same sentence as growth and economic value Amongst the current talk of the importance of ‘economic growth’ and the previous emphasis on ‘levelling up’, no-one ever mentions the social care sector’s best kept secret; the fact that it makes a massive contribution to the English economy, to the tune of nearly £56bn according to the latest Skills for Care data. This makes it twice as big as agriculture and bigger than the ‘Accommodation and food service activities’ industry according to data collected by the ONS (£41.8 billion in 2021). This may seem surprising, given that adult social care is always portrayed as a problem to be solved. Far from being a drain on public resources, adult social care is key to the economies of local communities because social care is often a very local business, generating a wide range of value in local communities. Care and support providers

Social Care

One in seven people in the workplace in the UK are juggling work and care social care workers are often very likely to live locally to where they work and therefore spend in their local economies. Care and support providers also generate spending within local supply chains which often remains within the same community in which they exist, and they have physical assets as part of the built environment locally if running accommodation-based services.

are big employers, both nationally and often locally. This may seem surprising, given that adult social care is always portrayed as a problem to be solved, a ‘drain’ on our public finances. Far from being a drain on resources, adult social care is key to the economies of local communities because social care is often a very local business, generating a wide range of value in local communities. Care and support providers are big employers, both nationally and often locally. The social care workforce is bigger than the NHS workforce, with 1.52m working in the sector, compared to 1.43m in the NHS and we know that

Benefits Beyond the numbers, there are the much broader aspects of the enabling benefits of adult social care for our society. For those able to access care and support, I suspect we are all only ever one or two connections away from a person whose life is positively benefiting from the work of care and support services, be that a parent, siblings, children or other family or friends. Carers UK tell us that one in seven people in the workplace in the UK are juggling work and care and that on average, 600 people a day quit their job to care for a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill. This emphasises the importance of being able to access professional care and support, so those 600 people a day do not have to give up work and can continue to operate in the labour market. It also highlights the enabling role that care and support provides to unpaid carers (often women) to join or return to the E

Social Care

The next government must seize the opportunity to create an economic growth strategy for adult social care

F workforce, and indeed those people in receipt of care and support who are keen to work. Furthermore, social care is a powerful tool in addressing social and economic inequalities. As well as being local employers and local purchasers, not-for profit providers often have a distinctive set of characteristics due to their heritage, mission and not-for-profit culture. This culture manifests itself as being very connected to the communities in which they operate, often for years and decades, responding to existing, emerging and evolving need. In so doing, they have created a much wider ecosystem of care and support services, including communitybased services, supported by volunteers as well as paid staff, using all their resources to focus on delivering great care and support in ways that their communities want. Services This ecosystem often includes a wide portfolio of services which is more common in the notfor-profit sector. Some of the bigger charitable providers such as Belong Villages and Brandon Trust, offer a range of services for all ages and all levels of support need, from learning disability, employment to the journey through older age and frailty. Belong Villages ooperates eight vibrant community villages for older people across the North West, offering a range of services, accommodation and amenities to support people as their needs change and enable

active lifestyles for people with dementia. This, together with Belong’s philosophy of enablement and its specialist exercise and rehabilitation service, means its customers have far less reliance on external health services than would be the case in more traditional models; resulting in significant economic benefits as well as enhanced outcomes for individuals. Villages include small-scale households providing 24-hour nursing and dementia care, independent living apartments, day care and home care services. There is also a vibrant hub of public facilities including bistro, hair salon, entertainment venue and a specialist gym, which are key to integrating the wider community. It is Belong’s not-for-profit status which enabled it to pioneer the household model, and which continues to drive Belong’s investment in new initiatives and technologies to enhance its services. Brandon Trust is a charity supporting around 1,600 children, young people and adults with a learning disability, autism or both. Their individualised, high-quality support, that positively impacts their wider communities, ranges from light-touch enabling services to employment opportunities and long-term residential care for people with complex needs. They work across the south of England and south Midlands and employ over 2,000 colleagues. Support is provided in people’s own homes, in registered accommodation, short breaks, day services and leisure and learning opportunities, helping people gain skills, build relationships, and support their wellbeing. Their social enterprises offer people with learning disabilities and autism creative and interesting opportunities to gain work skills, vocational training, and, very importantly, independence through paid employment. These social enterprises include a farm, a ceramics studio and pottery, two cafes, five charity shops and Enterprise Packaging, a service which fills orders for transplant retrieval kits for use across the NHS. Government The next government must seize the opportunity to create an economic growth

70 BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS | www.healthbusinessuk.net

Social Care

We also need a funded national framework for the price of registered and unregistered care strategy for adult social care. Our members tell us that this needs to include a capital investment fund to enable not-for-profit providers to develop and create new services and new models of care; a ‘Greener Social Care’ strategy with resources and incentives to help the sector meet net zero and environmental sustainability targets; a Zero-rated VAT for notfor-profit adult social care providers to enable VAT on operating expenses to be reclaimed; and some new duties for the CQC to promote innovation, improvement and economic development of social care services that is enabled by LA and ICS commissioning. We also need a funded national framework for the price of registered and unregistered care which ensures good quality, sustainable care wherever you live and removes the catastrophic costs providers, individuals and families are expected to pay to subsidise the state. Of course, the taxpayer is going to be very interested in the value for the public pound here. A great example of how we might do this is from one of our members Guild Care who work with the Social Value Lab to assess their social return on investment. Their SROI evaluation shows that the Guild Care services are creating a considerable social value of £5.84 for every pound of investment.

A strategic focus on investing in care for people, not profit, must underpin the economic growth strategy. Over the next 10 years we need the next government to help grow the volume of not-for-profit care provision by putting people before profit through a strategic, mindful and deliberate focus on commissioning and funding not-for-profit care; to develop a pathway to enable more care organisations to adopt a notfor-profit care model and ensure that regulation has a focus on financial transparency to ensure confidence and accountability. L FURTHER INFORMATION

www.nationalcareforum.org.uk

Product Finders

CATERING THE SAFER FOOD GROUP 0800 612 6784 info@thesaferfoodgroup.com

www.thesaferfoodgroup.com

Leading online training company The Safer Food Group provides food safety training for catering professionals. As an existing preferred supplier to numerous NHS trusts, we provide food safety, allergy awareness, health & safety and HACCP courses at negotiated partnership prices. Existing infrastructure enables immediate access to flexible, learner driven courses, accessible management data and trusted teaching materials.

CLEANING HOOPER SERVICES LIMITED 023 9263 0276 sales@hooperservices.co.uk

https://hooperservices.co.uk

Hooper Services have been at the cutting-edge of cleaning technology for over 30 years; we pride ourselves on having the answers to all your facilities management needs. With over a century of combined engineering expertise at your disposal, whether you require advice or a free demonstration, we have you covered!

CLEANING TOTAL CLEAN SERVICES 0808 123 0003 enquiries@totalclean.co.uk

www.totalclean.co.uk

Introducing Total Clean Services: Your reliable partner for comprehensive medical surgery cleaning solutions. Our experienced team offers tailored plans, eco-friendly products, and dependable service. We’re committed to making your practice space spotless and inviting without breaking the bank. Experience the Total Clean Services difference today!

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Product Finders

ENERGY ADVECO 01252 551540 enquiries@adveco.co

https://adveco.co

Award-winning specialist design, supply, and service of sustainable water heating. Gain insight on existing systems with Live Metering, reduce carbon and mitigate cost of moving from gas to electric. Talk to Adveco about commercial heat pumps, solar thermal, water heaters, electric boilers, cylinders, packaged systems, and offsite constructed plant rooms.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AQUA SAFETY SHOWERS INTERNATIONAL LTD 01942318096 sales@aqua-safety.com

www.aqua-safety.com

Our range of emergency products and equipment offer protection against serious injury and are all built to exceed ANSI/EN safety standards. We have the flexibility to adapt, modify or design bespoke units for each individual customer in our UK manufacturing facility.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT BENDER +44 (0)1229 480123 info@bender-uk.com

www.bender-uk.com

Bender UK is part of the Bender Group - a globally active family-owned company with more than 1300 employees worldwide. With experience and ongoing R&D, we are a world-leading provider of solutions that make electrical infrastructure smart and safe. From hospitals, mining, ships and manufacturing to solar, wind, data centres and electric vehicles, we are always on the cutting edge.

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Product Finders

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT D J HILL ENGINEERING 02920 790784 | 07725 947217 info@djhillengineering.co.uk

www.djhillengineering.co.uk

Welcome to the Hospital Bedstacker. The Bedstacker is available in 3, 4 and 5 Bed configurations for vertically stacking hospital beds. The Bedstacker has a small footprint with simple push button operation, full safety guarding and safety locking gates. D J Hill Engineering Services Ltd can supply and fit nationwide and also provide extended warranties and servicing.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT LANES GROUP PLC 0800 526 488 sales@lanesgroup.co.uk Lanes Group can help the NHS by offering services such as CCTV drain surveys, which can identify any issues in the hospital’s drainage systems, such as blockages or leaks. We can then provide solutions such as drain unblocking, repairs, and maintenance to prevent any further damage or disruption to hospital operations. Effective drainage management can improve hygiene and reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MGPS SERVICES LTD 0345 652 4901 info@mgps-services.com

www.mgps-services.com

MGPS Services Ltd are an independent company accredited to ISO 9001:2015 and provide Medical Gas training, AE Services, AP Duties, Testing & Commissioning, Compliance Audits, System Validation & Schematic Drawing, writing of Operational Policies, Project Management and various other Medical Gas Consultancy services.

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Product Finders

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PURCELL RADIO SYSTEMS LTD 020 7739 8060 info@purcellradio.com

www.purcellradio.com

Purcell have been helping to maximise efficiency in Healthcare Soft FM for over 20 years. CARPS fast response task management, TopCat compliance auditing, and now Locator real-time asset tracking are flexible, easy-to-use software systems that increase resource utilisation and provide the data needed to facilitate continuous improvement.

FIRE SAFETY EASTERN EXTINGUISHERS +44 (0) 1953 857654 sales@easternextinguishers.co.uk

www.easternextinguishers.co.uk

Are your extinguishers compliant? If future environmental legislation is passed, your AFFF Foam Extinguisher will need to be changed to the new P50 ECO with PFAS-FREE FOAM. Our P50 ECO extinguishers will help minimise your environmental impact and contain no fluorochemicals which are known to have a long-lasting detrimental effect.

FIRE SAFETY TF INSTALLATIONS LTD 01727 860657 office@tfinstallations.co.uk

www.tfinstallations.co.uk

TF Installations Ltd has been working in the fire detection industry for over 30 years. We can install, maintain and service Analogue Addressable Systems, Radio Fire Detection Systems, Conventional Fire Detection Systems, Air Operated Vent systems, Aspirating Systems, Graphical Packages, Emergency lighting and Fire extinguishers.

Issue 24.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Product Finders

FURNITURE MURRAY EQUIPMENT 01243811881 sales@murrayequipment.co.uk

www.murrayequipment.co.uk

At Murray’s we provide premium, bespoke medical and dental operator seating in a wide range of colours, with a focus on comfort and infection prevention. All our seating is hand made in the UK. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call or email.

ROAD SAFETY ECOGRIT 0800 193 6466 gaz@ecogrit.co.uk

ecogrit.co.uk

EcoGrit’s aim is to help protect the environment by reducing the use of rock salt and urea while offering customers “peace of mind” over the winter period. Their products are only sent directly to the consumer and are helping keep places of work, education, worship and construction open.

LEGIONELLA HYDROSENSE LTD 01506 841803 info@albagaia.com

hydrosense-legionella.com

Discover the Hydrosense easy-to-use rapid Legionella pneumophila test: Hydrosense PRO detects serogroups 1-15 within 25 minutes. Get immediate water safety with real-time results whilst waiting for lab results. This Legionella species causes over 97% of confirmed Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks so finding it quickly will help protect vulnerable patients and staff.

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Product Finders

LEGIONELLA TWO FACILITIES MANAGEMENT LTD 07825 123 182 info@twofm.co.uk

www.twofm.co.uk

TWO FM Ltd has delivered services in MRI, cardiac, endoscopy, mammography and more. Over 15 years’ experience in clinical environments including clinical mobile units. Services Include: legionella risk assessment; chemical clean of hot and cold-water systems; water sampling; monitoring services; training in control of legionella; and consultancy. Registered with the LCA.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY MOBILE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS LTD 0844 3350737 simon.angove@mobilehealth.org.uk

www.mobilehcs.co.uk

Mobile Healthcare Solutions Ltd is the leading UK provider of medical equipment for hire which gives you the following key benefits: flexible hire periods to suit your clinical needs, access to equipment from leading manufacturers with regular service and maintenance costs included in the price.

TECHNOLOGY DADPAD 07403 274 757 hello@thedadpad.co.uk

www.thedadpad.co.uk

DadPad is the essential guide for new dads, developed with the NHS. As a new dad you will feel excited, but you may also feel left out, unsure or overwhelmed. The DadPad can help by giving you the knowledge and practical skills that you need. The resource will support you and your partner to give your baby the best possible start in life.

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Product Finders

WASTE & RECYCLING TROJAN BINS 01684 295782 trojanbins.com

sales@trojanbins.com

TROJAN BINS offers a comprehensive range of bins and sack holders covering recycling, the medical sector and external venues. An accredited ISO9001 and ISO14001 business and approved supplier to the NHS. We deliver your needs.

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 2cl Communications

Hooper Services

2G Energy

Hydrosense

Adveco (AWP)

Inspired Glazing

Aqua Safety Showers International

Lanes Group

Asckey Data Services

MGPS Services

Auxilium Medical Services

Mobile Healthcare Solutions

Barclays

4, 12

Multitone Electronics

Bender UK

Murray Equipment Co

8, 76

National Cyber Security Show

52, 56

CBRE Clinisys Uk Cornerstone Management Services

40, 42 50 30, 34

Philips Monitors MMD Monitors & Displays (Netherlands) B.V

IFC

Plug-N-Go

D J Hill Engineering Services

Primed Halberstadt Medizintechnik Gmbh

DadPad

Purcell Radio Systems

Eastern Extinguishers

Radar Healthcare

TF Installations

EcoGrit

36, 76, IBC

Evolution Water Services

The Safer Food Group

Focus Games

Total Clean

Hilditch Group

Trojan Bins

Holmes & Partners

TWO Facilities Management

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