The FM (facilities management) contractor Mitie reports that it has won four contracts, two to deliver FM and two to provide catering services for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. These services were previously managed by Interserve Facilities Management but were renewed after Mitie acquired the fellow FM firm in November 2020.
The new contracts will be for five years, with the option to extend for another two. Mitie will provide services for 75 buildings, including mental health facilities and inpatient units, in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk. Around 300 employees will work on the contracts to provide cleaning, security, portering, linen and laundry, catering and helpdesks. Although Mitie has signed four contracts with the two separate NHS Trusts, the services will be managed as a single account, with one team working across all sites.
The contractor will provide security services, including manned guarding, for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust’s Kingsley Green Campus. Technology will play a key part of the services, the contractor says, with the security officers using a security app to create and update incident reports. This will allow officers to share information with colleagues for responding to any issues.
The FM firm will also roll out an app to allow the Trust’s estates managers and security officers to receive updates in their mobile devices on relevant issues, such as protests or incidents with the police. The updates will be supported by security analysts at Mitie’s Global Security Operations Centre (GSOC), its intelligence and technology-led security centre.
From the food in the Trusts’ cafés and vending machines to patients’ meals, the contractor will deliver catering for Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. The FM company will donate proceeds from coffees and pastries sold in the Trusts’ cafeteria to local social enterprises which help homeless people find accommodation and work as well as accessing mental health support should they need to. The contractor will roll out its patient catering app that allows ward hosts to take patient meal orders and share them with catering, for meals suitable for a patient’s dietary requirements and preferences. Rolling out the app will also see the correct number of meals are prepared, minimising food waste.
Alice Woodwark, Managing Director, Communities, Mitie, said: “We’re very proud and excited to extend our relationship with Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. We’re committed to embedding our technology solutions and sustainability expertise into this contract to support the Trusts in their commitment to have a positive impact on the local community.”
And Dean Raffles, Head of Operations, Estates and Facilities, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, said: “Well maintained and efficient facilities are an essential part of delivering excellent healthcare services for the local community. We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Mitie and look forward to working closely with the team to ensure our sites remain safe for service users and staff.”
