‘The next generation of assurance tools’

There remains a considerable focus on governance and assurance within NHS estates, with demands for Trust EFM teams to demonstrate compliance to their Boards, with an expanding agenda that also now sees environmental and sustainability issues to the fore, as well as the challenge, for some, of looming PFI handbacks, to contend with. In the light of this, the PAM model for 2024 been extended, with more areas covered in this year’s Trust submission than ever before. However, it can be argued that PAM only goes ‘skin deep’, and does not offer the deeper dive at a more technical level to provide assurance that estates and facilities are safe, effective, and of a high quality. With the continuing financial challenges facing the sector, the need to balance risk is greater than ever, with no blank cheques being handed out.

Against this backdrop, the partnership formed in 2023 between leading compliance software specialist, Quiqsolutions, and IHEEM – the independent professional engineering institute that promotes best practice guidance and development within the sector, was a significant step towards raising the awareness of quality and governance, as well as highlighting that the sector was lagging behind in its adoption of digital solutions in QA and compliance. Completing PAM submissions every year has become mandatory for all NHS Trusts, but there is still a long way to go in embedding governance and assurance processes that delve more deeply to give a truly accurate picture.  

Over the past 12 months Quiqsolutions and IHEEM’s Technical Platforms have been working to develop the next generation of assurance tools and to develop standardised audit and pre-audit templates across the key estates technical areas such as Ventilation, Water, Decontamination, Electrical, and Medical Gases. With content underwritten by IHEEM – including an ongoing review and approval process, there is peace of mind for Trusts that the content is current, in line with the latest best practice, and fit for purpose. In addition, the Quiqcare self-assessment tool is now available, enabling Trusts to evidence compliance and run reports. Action plans can be developed to capture any issues requiring improvement, and alerts and reminders ensure nothing gets missed.