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Sustainable management of NHS assets backlog maintenance

Efthimia Pantzartzis (School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
Lipika Deka (Faculty of Technology, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK)
Andrew D.F. Price (School of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
Chris Tann (Estates and Capital Projects, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chesterfield, UK)
Grant R.W. Mills (The Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, University College London, London, UK)
Sameedha Rich-Mahadkar (Strategy Corporate Team, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK)

Built Environment Project and Asset Management

ISSN: 2044-124X

Publication date: 7 November 2016

Abstract

Purpose

Lord Carter’s (2015) “Review of Operational Productivity in NHS providers” stated that to improve National Health Service (NHS) England’s efficiency, operational productivity should be targeted in four main areas, one being estates management. NHS England’s estate includes a variety of buildings some of which are considered no longer fit-for-purpose, thus creating risk to patients and staff. These built assets require continuous maintenance, adding pressures to NHS England’s precarious financial situation. The purpose of this paper is to identify positive strategies and major constraints to achieving sustainable management of backlog maintenance (BM) across the NHS assets, and thus suggest balanced actions.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a qualitative approach and combines: literature review of current BM methodologies; interviews with estates and facilities directors from seven NHS trusts on BM strategies; and a NHS trust detailed case study.

Findings

The major finding is that sustainable management of BM is achievable if there is a consistent, pro-active and long-term strategic approach where critical levels of BM are prioritised. Additional issues (i.e. appropriate methodology, performance metrics and links with clinical service delivery strategies) also need to be considered.

Practical implications

This study is relevant to the management of the NHS estate including development and adoption of sustainable strategies.

Originality/value

This paper offers original insights to the factors influencing healthcare estates’ BM at a time when the UK policy agenda is targeting infrastructure operational efficiency and organisations are seeking more comprehensive methodologies.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by a Loughborough University EPSRC IMCRC (EP/E002323/1) and EPSRC HaCIRIC (Health and Care Infrastructure Research and Innovation Centre) core grants (EP/D039614/1 and EP/I029788/1). The authors wish to acknowledge DH England and the NHS trusts who have participated to this research and interviews.

Citation

Pantzartzis, E., Deka, L., Price, A., Tann, C., Mills, G. and Rich-Mahadkar, S. (2016), "Sustainable management of NHS assets backlog maintenance", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 6 No. 5, pp. 535-552. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-09-2015-0055

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Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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