Chawton Hill have recently been appointed to support University Hospital Lewisham with planned and preventive maintenance (PPM). We’re very much looking forward to helping the team going forward, and helping to keep the estate running smoothly. But what are the key elements we consider, and why is PPM so important for NHS and other estates?
No matter what the type of building, over time, the fabric is likely to deteriorate if not kept in good order. PPM aims to ensure that your built infrastructure and assets stay in good serviceable shape. The aim being to ensure any potential problems are spotted before they become problems.
What Needs Considering?
There are various key issues to consider when setting out any planned maintenance report and schedule. We like to set out items in order of importance, so that you, as a building or estate manager can easily see what to prioritise and what needs dealing with promptly. This sits alongside regular maintenance and projects that need scheduling throughout the year.
Key elements for consideration in a report and plan might include:
- Record keeping – ensuring records of past maintenance are kept up to date.
- Surveying – ensuring a regular programme of inspection is in place to watch out for issues such as storm and weather damage, or other defects arising. Key areas should cover:
- General conditions of your building, any obvious defects or damage.
- The roof, and other parts of the building that may not be obvious from a walk-around or visual survey.
- RAAC panels and other elements such as asbestos. Ensure no risks might arise that could cause a hazard to health or safety of staff and the public.
- Elements that require specialist attention, such as plant and mechanical or electrical equipment. Ensuring kit such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning are all fully maintained and checking records.
- Fire stopping and safety features. Ensuring that seals are safe and any fire suppression measures are functional.
- Issues such as damp or deterioration of brickwork and other elements of structures such as subsidence that may require specialist attention and remediation.
- Items on the estate that might not be immediately obvious such as entrance gates, walls and fences, their safety and integrity.
- Execution & Management – ensuring the planned order and management of maintenance work is controlled and fits with budgets and wider hospital activities.
Budgets
We will generally include a budget giving an outline of anticipated costs for work. Budgets in hospitals remain tight, so we can also help with the recommendation of good value, experienced contractors and suppliers to ensure you obtain best value for money.
Seek the Best Advice
There are many IT, tech and other systems available to support you with planned maintenance. However, the importance of getting good quality, experienced advice from a surveyor skilled in understanding and maintaining buildings cannot be underestimated. Get in touch today should you need help and support with your healthcare estate maintenance. We’ll be happy to help.