The impact of facilities management on patient outcomes

Abstract

Purpose of this paperThe aim of the study was to investigate the extent to which practicing NHS facilities managers thought that the contribution of FM could be measured in terms of health outcomes. Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was distributed to NHS facilities or estate managers from the majority of NHS trusts in England and Wales. FindingsIn general, there is little or no evidence from pre-existing research to prove the contribution of FM in terms of health outcomes. However in spite of this 59% of facilities managers in the NHS believe that the contribution of FM could be measured yet only a relatively small number of Trusts (16%) have attempted to measure the contribution of FM. The analysis of the secondary data does not show any conclusive evidence of a correlation between FM and health outcomes. Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of the study did not extend to collecting empirical evidence to prove the contribution of FM to health outcomes -it was only focusing on whether facilities managers thought it was possible, and if so how they would measure the contribution. However, as part of the project some secondary data were tested for a relationship between FM services and health outcomes.

Albania vs Norway – FM at two university hospitals

“…The NHS and the British Medical Association's (BMA) surveys revealed that two of the patients' top ten priorities were FM-issues, namely cleanliness, and hospital food (Miller and May, 2004;May and Pinder, 2008). The NHS has recognised the food's importance, and has launched several initiatives for improvements of the hospitals' food and catering services (May and Pinder, 2008).…”

“…The NHS has recognised the food's importance, and has launched several initiatives for improvements of the hospitals' food and catering services (May and Pinder, 2008). In 2014, the UK's Department of Health's Hospital Food Standards Panel issued a comprehensive national recommendation for food and drink in the NHS hospitals (Department of Health, 2014).…”

Space and Species. Business School Exemplifications

“…Secondly, as for space management and FM the infrastructure becomes more important. FM is the object of research in the high educational sector, however, it is the most frequently analyzed from the perspective of managing ISSN 2327-5510 2016 educational space (May and Pinder, 2008;Ogbeifun, 2011;UK Higher ...., 2006;Christensen, Eyring, 2011;Fishman, 2014). The paper's interest is focused on research space, separated from educational one.…”

An output approach to property portfolio performance measurement

“…The evidence linking high quality space to outcomes, while still less than it might be is growing for schools, (CABE, 2006), offices Price, 2007), universities (Price et al 2003) and hospital environments (e.g. Hutton and Richardson, 1995;Miller and May, 2006;May and Pinder, 2008 ). Such spaces, if they are to be kept in good condition do tend to cost more (per unit area at least); an assertion that should not under value the fact that some facilities management regimes, given the same level of funding, manage to produce different levels of quality (Price and Akhlaghi, 1999;Macdonald 2007;Macdonald et al, in prep ).…”