Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what training and support exists for NHS Estate Managers with respect to managing and monitoring the competence of external facilities maintenance contractors in line with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

The Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 apply to all National Health Service construction and design work and as such are implemented across all capital investment, including the responsibilities of specific professionals employed.

NHS trusts will have local policy and procedures in place to manage external contractors including their competence.

Dissemination of information related to the Act and enforcement of it are carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.

No recent discussions have taken place with the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association or the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estates Management in respect of the Regulations.

Data is not collected centrally on the costs have been incurred by the NHS in respect of safety breaches by external facilities maintenance contractors or the how many accidents have occurred within the NHS Estate in each of the last five years involving, or caused by, external facilities maintenance contractors whilst carrying out maintenance work.