The Building Safety and Fire Compliance Framework Agreement from NHS SBS provides services from passive and active fire safety to asbestos management and PAT testing.
Active until February 2029, the framework is open to the NHS and UK public sector organisations.
The framework agreement provides a flexible offer for compliant and regulated services for building safety and fire compliance for both planned and reactive works.
Context
NHS England currently has an estimated maintenance backlog cost of £13.8 billion, which is more than the cost of running the entire estate at £13.6 billion. Lord Darzi’s 2024 Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, also known as the Darzi report, found that NHS capital budgets had regularly been raided to plug holes in day-to-day spending, resulting in an estate “starved of capital”. Crumbling buildings disrupted 13 hospitals each day in 2022-23, and the National Audit Office reported 5,4000 clinical incidents in 2023-24
due to infrastructure failures and poor conditions.
The government has since allocated £1 billion to tackle critical repairs and address a mounting maintenance backlog, with £102 million to start upgrading GP surgeries, which are also suffering from capital deprivation. The New Hospital Programme is an NHS initiative to rebuild and modernise healthcare facilities, including creating new hospitals, which has been injected with £15 billion in funding, and aims to deliver upgrades and new builds in five-year waves. The framework will be vital for hospitals undergoing upgrades, as well as those being built now, in ensuring that these buildings are safe and fire compliant.
Framework details
This framework agreement has been split into ten different lots, organised by category. Lot 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 deal with fire safety, the former on passive fire safety, the middle on active fire safety, and the lattermost on fire risk assessments and consultancy services. Lots 2.1 and 2.2 concern asbestos management and removal, respectively.
The maintenance, design and installation of lifts is found under Lot 3, Legionella and water treatment services under Lot 4, and PAT testing under Lot 5.
Lot 6 comprises authorising engineer and Lot 7 handles pneumatic tube systems.
You can run a further competition, or choose to direct award in compliance with Regulation 33 of the Public Contracts Regulations.
Benefits
Valued at £200 million, this framework agreement from NHS SBS has numerous benefits, largely that customers can procure all of their building safety and compliance needs in one place. All providers meet British standards, Health Technical Memoranda (HTM) and all relevant industry accreditation, as well as being compliant with Asbestos Regulations 2012.
NHS SBS’s combination of both passive and active fire safety measures makes it an indispensable resource, covering the implementation of fire-resistant materials and structures like fire doors and fire-resistant walls, as well as the installation and maintenance of fire detection and suppression systems, such as smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems.
Senior category manager at NHS SBS, Brendan Griffin-Ryan, said: “The increased emphasis on fire safety brought about by the dreadful Grenfell Tower disaster has shown that some NHS buildings fail to meet modern safety standards and underscores why fire safety compliance and protocols are paramount.
“The NHS must prioritise fire safety to prevent incidents similar to Grenfell from occurring in healthcare settings, where the impact could be catastrophic.
“Our framework agreement provides the NHS with a comprehensive range of services. It aligns with key health and safety regulations – ensuring seamless integration and adherence to all compliance in critical areas like fire safety, water treatment, and asbestos management, crucial for maintaining the safety and integrity of NHS buildings, protecting patients, staff, and visitors.”
