Today is National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day, and we're celebrating the work of our capital, estates and facilities team here at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie by sharing some insights and stories about the important work they do.
Almost 1,500 people work in estates and facilities at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), including more than 500 CUH staff and 600 Medirest colleagues.
They keep our buildings and facilities running smoothly, make sure we are being sustainable and that medicines, goods and patients are where they need to be, when they need to be there.
Whether our staff are on the front-line or behind-the-scenes, they all play an essential role in our patients' journeys.
Tina James, CUH’s emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) manager, started out working in administration. During the Covid pandemic she provided admin support to the EPRR manager and then went on to become a loggist during incidents, which she found very interesting.
The NHS needs to be able to plan for and respond to a wide range of incidents and emergencies which could affect health or patient care and this work is referred to in the health service as emergency preparedness, resilience and response. Tina's job is to ensure that CUH is prepared for events which can be anything from extreme weather conditions, an infectious disease outbreak, a major transport accident, a cyber security incident or a terrorist attack or more locally, disruption or failure to our services.
Tina says:
I have learnt that everyone has their own part to play and staff always have the care of patients at the forefront of their minds and genuinely want to help. I am proud to be part of that culture and believe that is why CUH is a great place to work.
CUH’s sustainable waste manager, Amanda Lloyd is a longstanding member of team CUH, originally joining the Trust in 2003.
Since 2017 Amanda has been the Trust’s sustainable waste manager, responsible for waste segregation, pre-acceptance (clinical waste) audits and more increasingly, as part of the energy and sustainability team.
She is responsible for encouraging departments to re-think the way they work and buy items, for example, thinking about what they they buy in and how they dispose of the end product, to eliminate unnecessary waste, re purpose redundant items wherever possible, or recycle.
Amanda says:
I really enjoy being able to research into the various products and consumables that we buy, to determine if there are more sustainable ways of dealing with them i.e. recycling rather than incinerating.
Amanda originally joined CUH as a quality monitoring officer and says of her career: "I began asking questions about how all of this waste was being managed and was fascinated by the incinerator and how such a small team dealt with it all so efficiently.
"To learn that we are the only NHS hospital to own and operate its own energy from waste incinerator (which means, that by incinerating all of our clinical wastes we are providing heat and steam to the majority of CUH) blew my mind and I was hooked!"
David Ayeni is a senior building officer, in our minor works team. He works on various buildings and construction projects across the Trust.
He enjoys working on a variety of projects as no two projects are ever the same saying:
this provides me an opportunity to contribute directly or indirectly to patient care through the provision of high quality environment for patients and staff use.
Due to the size of CUH, David says he has been privileged to work with other professionals with various skill sets across who are always willing to help and positively contribute to resolving complex problems.
Andy Hind is a clerk of works within the Capital and Planning Department. He originally trained in carpentry and joinery at his local council and has enjoyed a varied career that has seen him work for the RAF and as the sole trades person on a remote Scottish island. About this unique experience Andy said: "I gained vast knowledge in other trades and life experiences."
To get to his initial NHS interview Andy had to travel 680 miles by two ferries, two trains, a bus, a taxi!
Andy says:
I truly believe I have the best job ever within the best team.
As a clerk of works, Andy ensures contractors adhere to exact standards and quality as outlined in contractual information like drawings and specifications. Additionally, he verifies compliance with all statutory regulators to maintain a safe construction site environment which is also paramount for a successful project.
With nearly 80 projects under his belt in healthcare, he considers himself experienced but always eager to learn more and stay updated on regulations.
Nick Brown is the general manager of AVM Services. He leads a team of decontamination specialists who provide critical services to a range of healthcare organisations.
AVM Sevices deliver services both within our own Trust and commercially to other NHS Trusts, private hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. AVM Services primary focus is ensuring that all reusable medical devices, such as endoscopes and surgical instruments, undergo thorough cleaning, disinfection, and decontamination processes. These devices are then repackaged and reprocessed to meet stringent standards, safeguarding patient safety.
Nick joined CUH over ten years ago after relocating from Southeast Asia, where he worked as a Commercial Manager in the Oil and Gas services sector. His transition to CUH marked a significant shift, but he quickly found his stride in the healthcare environment.
Nick said:
The supportive and dynamic work environment at CUH has been instrumental in my professional growth, and I am proud to be part of such a dedicated team.
Chair of CUH, Dr Mike More, attended the Estates and Facilities Open Forum on Wednesday 19 June and said: "I was staggered to learn that Capital Estates and Facilities Management at CUH are responsible for over 1,500 miles of electrical cable, 260 miles of pipework, staff who are cleaning the hospital use 41 litres of toilet cleaner each day, 960 pints of milk are served a day via patient catering services, and 115 lifts need to be maintained and kept functioning.
"Often unseen but truly vital and respected, it is no easy task to ensure that we have an estate and facilities services which are clean, safe, and are served with the utilities we need. Thank you for all you do.”
Inspired by our staff stories?
Visit our careers website to find out how you could join our team here at CUH.