Procurement solution tackling fire risks in healthcare settings goes live

The news comes as healthcare buildings across England face mounting infrastructure challenges, emphasising the need for fire safety, building maintenance and compliance across NHS estates and the wider public sector.

The Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework agreement provides a full compliance offer, including active and passive fire safety, fire risk assessments and consultancy services, all of which are essential for mitigating risks such as life hazards, liability, operational disruption, reputational damage and legal penalties.

NHS Shared Business Services’ framework agreement allows procurement teams to access vetted suppliers for specialist services like asbestos management, legionella treatment, authorising engineers and fire safety, bot quickly and on a compliant basis. It includes suppliers from multinationals all the way through to regional SMEs.

The Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework runs from 24 February 2025 until 23 February 2029.

Increased emphasis

Brendan Griffin-Ryan, senior category manager at NHS Shared Business Services, explained: “The increased emphasis on fire safety brought about by the tragedy at Grenfell Tower has shown that some NHS buildings fail to meet modern safety standards and, what’s more, underscores precisely why fire safety compliance and protocols are paramount.”

NHS England estimates that the cost to eradicate the NHS maintenance backlog to be somewhere in the region of £13.8 billion, which actually surpasses the £13.6 billion total cost of running the NHS estate.

The National Audit Office reported 5,400 clinical incidents in 2023-2024 due to infrastructure failures and poor conditions, while NHS Trust documents reveal deficiencies that risk fire episodes, floods, electrical failures and hazardous material exposure.

Government recognition of this issue led to a £1 billion funding boost for essential repairs and upgrades, with £102 million earmarked for the first phase of GP surgery upgrades. The New Hospital Programme, backed to the tune of £15 billion, aims to modernise NHS buildings over several phases.

Prioritising fire safety

Brendan Griffin-Ryan stated: “The NHS must prioritise fire safety to prevent incidents similar to Grenfell from occurring in healthcare settings, where the impact could be catastrophic.”

Griffin-Ryan concluded: “Our Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework agreement provides the NHS with a comprehensive range of services. It aligns with key Health and Safety regulations, thereby ensuring seamless integration and adherence to all compliance in critical areas like fire safety, water treatment and asbestos management. This is crucial for maintaining the safety and integrity of the NHS’ buildings and protecting patients, staff and visitors.”

NHS Shared Business Services was created to deliver corporate services to the NHS. A unique joint venture with Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital services and software development, NHS Shared Business Services makes life easier for NHS employees, patients and suppliers, while in parallel delivering value for money to the taxpayer.

NHS Shared Business Services delivers finance and accounting, procurement, workforce, digital and expert advisory services to more than half of the NHS in England. Its solutions are underpinned by cutting-edge technologies and an in-depth understanding of the NHS as an organisation.  

*For more information visit the NHS Shared Business Services website at www.sbs.nhs.uk

**Additional detail concerning the Building Safety and Fire Compliance framework agreement can be accessed online at Framework Agreements | NHS SBS