Department of Health

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Estates and facilities management

Strategic development of a flexible and responsive environment for health and social care, delivering improved health outcomes through innovative estates and facilities solutions which enable high quality, safe patient care.

Strategic Asset Management

Strategic Health Asset Planning and Evaluation (SHAPE)

Strategic Health Asset Planning and Evaluation (SHAPE) is a web-based, planning software application aimed primarily at Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to inform and support delivery of service reconfiguration within a whole health economy in England.

Patient Power Review Group

Between July 2005 and January 2006, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) investigated the cost of incoming calls made to patients in hospitals using bedside entertainment systems (Patient Power programme). Following Ofcom's report, the Patient Power Review Group was set up in February 2006 to address the issues raised by Ofcom. Its report was published on 23 February 2007.

3 May 2007: Using mobile phones in NHS hospitals

Following the publication of the Patient Power Review Group report on 23rd February 2007, the Department committed to producing further best practice guidance for NHS Trusts, in addition to that produced in August 2006.

ProCure21

An innovative method of capital procurement for the NHS. ProCure21 uses a framework agreement to bring the NHS and Construction industry together to build publicly funded capital schemes. ProCure21 enables the NHS to cut up to a year off tendering time, while ensuring certainty on cost, time and quality. It promotes partnering, client education, design excellence, performance review and benchmarking.

Property management

Today's healthcare organisations present a unique challenge to managers. All management decisions need to be based on up-to-date and relevant information. Knowledge and Information is dedicated to acting as a reliable source of this information.

Town planning

It is important for there to be partnership working between National Health Service organisations (NHS) and local planning authorities (LPAs) at all levels.  Having a good relationship with your LPA means that the NHS can discuss the impact of proposed developments on the health and well being of the local population as well as on existing and future healthcare provision.  Consideration can be given to how best to tackle health inequality and regenerate the most deprived areas that have the poorest health.

The Department of Health is helping this process by developing two new planning guides  - one for the NHS to explain the town planning process and the other for LPAs to understand the NHS better.

Engineering, technology and environment

As part of the DH Estates and Facilities directorate, Engineering, Technology & Environment provides advice and support to help NHS organisations drive forward specialist healthcare engineering, embrace new ideas and technologies and deliver high quality patient care.

Sustainable development

Sustainable Development is on the Government's agenda for the long-term. Although climate change is the most serious global environmental threat, promoting new, modern, sustainable ways of living, working, producing and travelling also stand to achieve wider benefits to human health and well-being (taken from "Securing the Future - delivering UK sustainable development strategy"). This is in accordance with the Department's commitment to sustainable development and in line with the principles of the White Paper "Our health, our care, our say". The key is to embrace the concept and take this forward with renewed vigour to realise the benefits from social reform, improved environmental performance and realise the economic rewards necessary to maintain the impetus.

Design and costing

The Design and Costing section provides leadership and expertise to improve the design of the healthcare built environment. Information available covers design guidance and standards, capital investment and costing advice.

Developing capacity: estates and facilities workforce development

Managing the delivery of a high quality estate and facilities service is vital to provision of patient care. The modernisation agenda places additional challenges on the professionals charged with ensuring the built environment is available and appropriately serviced to meet the needs of 21st century health care. It is, therefore, essential to underpin the modernisation programme with a co-ordinated and structured approach to the training and development needs of estates, property and facilities management staff.

Estates and facilities capital and procurement

The Capital Investment Manual (CIM), published in 1994, represents a comprehensive approach to the planning and delivery of capital schemes. It sets out a three-phase approach to capital investment appraisal for the NHS, involving the establishment of a capital investment strategy, and the production of Outline and Full Business Cases

Specialist property advice

DH Estates and Facilities provides specialist property advice and guidance to ministers and the Department of Health. In addition, it supplies best-practice guidance to NHS organisations in England on all aspects of managing their land and property.

Primary and social care premises

The primary and social care premises section identifies the key considerations and actions for those involved in the planning, briefing and design of primary and social care premises, and gives some guidelines on funding, procurement and design.

DH Estates and Facilities Knowledge and Information

DH Estates and Facilities produces guidance for NHS organisations and individuals with an interest in land, property, equipment and facilities. This information can be used to support the effective management and utilisation of property and equipment and procurement of new buildings.

NIHR NHS Physical Environment Research Programme

Published: 31/03/2008 14:27

The NHS Physical Environment Research Programme encourages the exploration of topics related to the physical environment within the primary and secondary healthcare sectors. The programme is part of the National Institute for Health Research, which is funded by the Department of Health.

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