Dr Melvyn Langford CEng, MIMechE, MCIBSE, who was employed by the NHS for nearly 40 years, and, has written several previous articles for Health Estate Journal (June 2013, September 2011, September 2010, and November 2009) on what he claims are ‘systematic failures’ in the way the maintenance of NHS buildings has been managed.
Reports on a recent analysis by a multi-disciplinary team that compared an NHS Trust’s estates department’s managerial systems against NHS recommendations, with alarming results.
In January 2006 a report was finalised that assessed the perceived risks associated with some of the then current managerial and technical policies and procedures practised within an NHS hospital’s estates services department. The ‘Risk Profile’ report was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team that compared the department’s managerial systems against those recommended by the NHS Executive Policy and operational guidance, which is issued via the NHS Estates Executive Agency through a series of publications of Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs) and associated documentation produced by the Health & Safety (H&S) Commission. The methodology employed throughout the analysis used stage one of a four-stage risk model, which had been specifically designed by the NHS (in liaison with Loughborough University) to uncover latent gaps within the day-to-day managerial systems operated by NHS estates departments.
Lack of suitable working practices
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
