The new Construction Consultancy framework agreement has the potential to save the public sector £240m and prioritises localised procurement
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has debuted the third edition of the Construction Consultancy framework agreement, ‘Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy & Ancillary Services (HPCCAS)’.
The new framework offers the NHS a cost-effective and compliant procurement route for architecture, civil and structural engineering and surveying, amongst other services.
Maintenance and upkeep of the NHS estate is no small task
With over a thousand hospitals- some of which predate the NHS itself- ensuring a swift and reliable supply chain for construction services is essential to maintain the estate.
NHS Digital figures estimate the cost to eradicate the backlog of repairs and maintenance of the hospital estate to sit at £10.2bn, more than double that of £4.7bn in 2011/12.
In response, the government committed to building 40 new hospitals by the end of the 2020s, with £20bn of investment in related infrastructure. This scheme has heavily promoted the concept of the “hospital 2.0”, which purportedly delivers healthcare facilities with greater efficiencies and reduced cost.
However, significant concerns have been raised about the likelihood of reaching the 40 new hospitals target.
It is hoped that the new HPCCAS framework will alleviate some of these concerns.
Lots in the Construction Consultancy framework include:
- Architectural Services
- Project Management
- Civil & Structural Engineering
- Quantity Surveyor
- Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEP) Services
- Principal Designer Services
- Multidisciplinary Services
- Building Surveyors
- Healthcare Planning
- Net Zero, Environmental Consultancy & Sustainability
- Ancillary Services
The HPCCAS framework has a particular focus on sustainability
As the UK’s largest employer, the NHS is responsible for around 4% of the nation’s carbon emissions. It is has committed to reducing its direct emissions to net zero by 2040 and 2045 for those emissions it can influence.
The HPCCAS framework agreement has included a specific Net Zero, Environmental Consultancy & Sustainability lot to support users achieve cost-effective carbon footprint reduction.
A central programme team will coordinate with local and regional stakeholders in working with NHS Hospital Trusts to deliver energy efficient healthcare facilities.
Supporting SMEs and local business where possible
The UK-wide HPCCAS framework agreement includes 179 vetted suppliers and is free to use.
Melissa King, NHS SBS senior category manager – Construction & Infrastructure, commented:
“To achieve the level of investment and regeneration required across the NHS and public sector, customers need a compliant, secure and trusted route that helps them navigate construction consultancy services through to procurement.
“To cater for regionalised procurement, 78% of the suppliers appointed are small to medium sized enterprises, sitting alongside larger multi-disciplinary (tier 1) suppliers.
“Previous iterations of the framework agreement have achieved 10-15% savings. With £1.6bn expected spend via it over the next four years, the HPCCAS framework agreement has the potential to achieve public sector savings of up £240m.”
You can find out more about the HPCCAS framework agreement here.
