Trust awards new facilities contract
In January 2010 East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust embarked on a best value review of the current Soft Facilities Management (FM) supply chain arrangements across the Trust.
Following the completion of this review and the subsequent tendering project, The Trust is in a position to award the contract worth between £130,000,000 and £180,000,000 for services including cleaning, catering, portering, security, waste management, switchboard, pest control, staff accommodation, helpdesk and ward housekeeping, to the international service provider Serco.
The contract, which is planned to run for up to ten years, will replace the existing contract with Compass Group (Medirest) and will come into place from 1st July 2012.
In making the announcement, the Director of Capital Planning and Strategic Development for the Trust, Liz Shutler said “We would like to place on record the Trust’s thanks to Medirest, for their years of service to the Trust.”
She went on to say “In selecting Serco as our new provider we were not just looking for value for money, but improved levels of service and innovation for the benefit of our patients. In particular we believe the introduction of Ward Housekeepers, as the link between clinical staff and cleaning staff, will further improve the services we offer our patients across the Trust.
Working in partnership with Serco, the new contract will also make greater use of new technology and the introduction of a new centralised helpdesk should make it much easier to manage the resources to best effect.”
March 2012
