The Facilities Management Policy and Procedures Document Exchange

To assist the NHS in keeping the overall costs of policy document production to a minimum Focused FM has launched the FM Document Exchange through the services of the Healthcare Facilities Consortium (HFC) website. A consortium member submits three of their own documents and is granted access, through a secure individual username and password, to the whole of the Document Exchange.
    
The exchange contains a wide range of documents covering Contracts, Environment & Energy, Estates Maintenance, General Health & Safety, Medical, Clinical & Nursing subject matter. Comprising over 250 documents, which are of interest to all healthcare professionals right up to the chief executive, the library covers a wide range of subjects that will be of interest within the healthcare environment. This includes Policies and Procedures, Specifications, Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Job Descriptions. As all the documents have been produced and submitted by NHS bodies where relevant they have already been before the Board of an NHS organisation. This means that the documents can be taken with a high level of trust and will provide an excellent start point for anyone playing catch up on topical areas.
    
Within the website is a full text search facility, which makes tracking down a relevant document very easy, and the majority of files are in Microsoft Word format and generic, having had organisation specific information removed. To keep the exchange fresh, all contributing members are asked to submit an additional document each year and while not wholly reinforced as a rule the “for the NHS by the NHS” ethos of the Document Exchange is honoured and valued by its members. Users also provide feedback on the documents used and this means that superseded or time served documents can be easily identified and either updated or replaced by other members of the consortium. As the general requirements between the differing types of NHS bodies can vary the exchange contains some documents on the same topics but sourced from, for example, a PCT, Community & Mental Health Trust and Foundation Trust.
    
Looking forward it is hoped to include exemplar policies covering topics prompted by upcoming legalisation or guidance under consultation by the different Departments of Health. This will mean that the exchange will be of benefit to the leading edge organisations as well as those that are playing catch up in some area or other. Being realistic, why start from scratch when you can draw on a resource of around £1m of policies and procedures already proven, approved where appropriate and in use in similar organisations. Joining the FM Document Exchange has got to save your organisation time and money.
    
Keith J Sammonds has worked in UK healthcare since 1979 including Unit, District, Trust, Regional Health Authority and Department of Health (NHS Estates – an executive agency of the DH) and is Operations Director of the Healthcare Facilities Consortium.

For more information
Focused FM is a trading name of the Healthcare Facilities Consortium, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NHS Confederation.
E-mail: Info@hfc.org.uk
Tel: 01902 765620
Web: www.hfc.org.uk

HFC Annual Conference 2008
Flourishing FM – Enhancing Estates & Facilities Information
18 – 19 September, The Kassam Stadium, Oxford

As the healthcare construction and development programme continues to improve facilities within the healthcare environment Facilities Management is also undergoing a constant improvement programme under the watchful eye of the Healthcare Commission and Monitor.
   
New guidance and minimum standards from the Department of Health and the Chief Nursing Officers Office are ensuring that healthcare FM is flourishing; buildings are more suited to purpose and maintenance and cleaning standards are continuing to rise.
   
As the only healthcare based facilities information consortium the HFC is supporting healthcare FM providers in this continual improvement and this year’s annual conference is focussing on the key drivers towards service improvement.
   
The two-day event provides great opportunity for you to take part and engage in the key topics in front of the NHS, including Deep Cleaning, Benchmarking, Environmental Issues, NHS Memberships, Policy & Procedure and much more with sessions lead by key speakers.
   
The event will also be hosting a varied exhibition where you can attend technical demonstrations and find out the latest in FM products and services best suited for your organisation.
   
We are dedicated to providing quality FM Solutions to Facilities Professionals in the health sector and beyond. This conference has many benefits and is open to all FM and Healthcare Professionals and offers great networking opportunities. To find out more about the conference and to book your delegate place visit www.hfc.org.uk or e-mail conference@hfc.org.uk