Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is a world renowned centre of clinical excellence and one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the UK. As part of their ongoing commitment to maximizing value for money, OUH commissioned a review of all estates related service contracts and the formulation of a new 5 year procurement plan. Key contracts were re-tendered delivering financial and operational benefits to the Trust.
Improved FM services helps Oxford University Hospitals deliver better patient experience
Summary
Situations
OUH encompasses four hospitals, employing over 12,000 staff and managing 1 million patient contacts per year. The Trust aims to secure best value from all its estates expenditure and set out to review existing contracts with this requirement in mind. Key estates services were re-tendered in line with OJEU requirements and a new CIPS plan was put in place compliant with internal estate, finance, procurement and governance policies. Best practice from across the NHS was incorporated into the procurement approach to deliver improvements and efficiencies in all major categories of expenditure
Actions
LCMB engaged with the estates and procurement teams to:
- Conduct an overview of estates expenditure and contract positions to define opportunities for improvements, efficiencies and savings.
- Carry out a desk-top review to identify procurement priorities, existing constraints and risks.
- Review category spends against benchmark norms to determine value for money.
- Review spending limits and approach on Measured Term Contract.
- Consider alternative strategies for dealing with medium size project works.
- Formulate a strategy for more efficient procurement and delivery of capital works projects and better define responsibilities within such projects.
- Review other existing local or national based frameworks to identify opportunities to improve value for money.
- Review the roles, responsibilities and accountability within the procurement and operational teams for the management of existing contracts and provide recommendations for improvement.
- Re-procure security and car parking services contract through OJEU tendering process.
Benefits
- Procurement category plan for the Trust which identifies the best value approach for procuring each service category.
- Current data on position, considerations, options, recommendations and proposed resource profile required to re-procure each service category.
- Detailed proposal for revised project/Measured Term Contract procurement strategy.
- Proposed revisions to the capital works process which included the introduction of a 10 stage project management procedure and recommendations on how to better define roles and responsibilities, enhance collaborative working and improve contract management and reporting.
- Procurement of improved, cost effective security and car parking service for the Trust, which will directly impact on patients and visitors to the hospital
- This approach avoided direct costs in the region of 22% for the Trust.
Challenges and Achievements
Seeing the ‘wood for the trees’
Complex estates have complex contracts, with variable formats and a myriad of different timescales and constraints. Over time, best practice moves on and contracts become out-dated and under-preforming. This systematic review of key contracts and procurement methods allowed the Trust to re-align its procurement processes under a single unifying plan and to pin-point real opportunities to improve operational and financial performance.
Acting on opportunities
During the review of existing contracts the potential to significantly improve the deliverables from the security and car parking service was identified and immediately acted upon. The required OJEU tendering process was undertaken and major operational and financial benefits secured as part of the new contract.
“The tender process from preparation, evaluation through to contract award was very well managed by LCMB. The Trust’s objectives and specification was well presented and the key operational and service requirements were made clear to all bidders at critical times. And importantly, all stakeholders were kept informed of progress throughout the various stages.”
Dean Raffles, Senior Operational Services Manager, Estates & Facilities, OUH
Find out more
LCMB improves the financial and environmental sustainability of buildings and estates, and the productivity and well-being of the people using them. We do this by reducing building operating costs, energy used and improving building space and its’ utilisation. We offer Workplace Performance, Facilities Management, Project Management and Resource optimisation support.
Amongst others our clients include King’s College London, Birmingham Airport, Tata Technologies, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Bouygues Energies & Services.
