A programme of planned maintenance - can you afford not to have one?

We’ve all experienced it; you’re busy at work when all of a sudden you notice water dripping from the ceiling in the corner of the room, or your office is freezing cold because the boiler has broken down. At best, it’s an inconvenience as you need to take time out of your day contacting tradesmen to come and repair the problem. At worst, the issue could cause a major hazard to yourself and others using the building. But, could the problem have been avoided?

As a provider of services to the public, all GP practices have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are safe and secure. In fact, the safety and suitability of premises is one of the main outcomes to be met in the forthcoming CQC registration for GP practices in England. The CQC will be looking at how premises and grounds are being maintained and how practices recognise any risks and manage them.

So, what’s the solution? A programme of planned maintenance (PPM) is a proactive approach to managing the maintenance of your premises and forms part of an overall asset management strategy. With a regular maintenance programme and improvements to surgery premises, it will not only have a positive impact on staff and patients using the building, but will have a number of other benefits:

Value of the surgery

A regular programme of maintenance will protect the value of the surgery as the building fabric and internal fixtures and fittings are checked regularly and any necessary work undertaken to preserve their condition. The condition of the building is considered by the District Valuer when providing their opinion of value for Notional Rent reimbursement, and would also be considered when ascertaining the market value of the property should the doctors wish to sell. Therefore, for maximum value, the surgery premises should be maintained to the highest possible standards.

Managing finance and budgets

By planning what maintenance needs to be undertaken over a given period of time, GP practices will be able to budget for specific activities within a specific time frame, allowing the necessary budgets to be known and allowed for in advance, meaning greater efficiency and better financial management.

Reduce costs

Unexpected breakdowns with expensive repair costs and call-out fees can be minimised by having a maintenance plan in place, instead of only reacting when there is a problem - prevention is better than the cure! The cost of works can be reduced by planning what work needs to be undertaken in advance and grouping tasks. For example, if there are some roof tiles which need replacing, and the pointing at the top of the building needs to be redone in a few months time, it makes more sense to schedule both of these tasks to be undertaken at the same time, so that only one set of scaffolding needs to be erected, instead on two separate occasions, a few months apart, thus saving money.

Patient experience

Well maintained premises also have an impact on the perception of a surgery by patients. Patients who can attend a clean, smart-looking surgery will have an improved experience, which is one of the key messages at the heart of the Health and Social Care Bill as well as being vital to both patient retention and attracting new patients. With the removal of practice boundaries in the pipeline, some patients may use the appearance and condition of premises as part of their decision making process when choosing which practice to visit.

Time saving

Once a maintenance plan is in place the work can be prioritised and contractors can be scheduled to undertake the work allowing practice staff to get on with their everyday tasks. As unexpected breakdowns and faults are reduced, less time is wasted dealing with them if they occur.

The maintenance plan should encompass all aspects of the practice premises both internal and external.. You also need to make sure that you satisfy legal obligations e.g. testing of electrical systems, servicing of gas boilers, lifts, fire alarms and extinguishers.

GP Surveyors are able to produce programmes of planned maintenance for GP practices. More information can be found here or please call 0845 143 0019.

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