Mitie has won £11.8 million in NHS Trust contracts with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals.
The company, which provides strategic outsourcing and energy services, will deliver a modern, technology-led FM service for five healthcare sites.
“From intelligent portering systems that free up clinical time, to click-and-collect catering, we’re making the experience better for patients, visitors and hospital staff,” said Mike Gibson, the Managing Director of Healthcare and Education at Mitie.
Mitie will support modernising the healthcare environments of Fanshawe Health Centre, Bates Industrial Estate, South Street, and Lyon Road.
Their services will focus on areas like patient dining, cleaning, reception, security, waste management, shuttle-bus operations, and crucially, smart-tech enhancements like AI-driven task management and smartphone-based location tracking to streamline the transportation process.
The smart portering systems from Mitie allow healthcare sites to leverage AI task-management and smartphone location tracking.
This model was trialled at Cumberland Infirmary, which saw a 58% reduction in response times and 65% decrease in porter-task durations and cleaning tasks more than tripled.
Mitie also works with healthcare facilities to install click-and-collect catering and bedside ordering tablets. The tablets allow patients to choose meals, drinks and refreshments from tablet devices, avoid queues, and enjoy a more personalised refreshment experience.
From waste and linen logistics to shuttle-bus link-up between campuses, Mitie also works to provide integrated estate support for clinical and non-clinical operations.
The contract goes beyond just AI task-management and smartphone location tracking, it also includes career advancement opportunities for local residents.
“We’re also investing in the local community, creating new jobs for people not currently in work or education, offering apprenticeships, and supporting local charities and schools through mentoring and volunteering,” said Gibson.
Mitie will create six new jobs in the first year and seven apprenticeship opportunities each year for individuals who are not currently employed, in education or training.
Mitie is actively engaged in volunteer initiatives, dedicating 128 hours to career mentoring in facilities management, 80 hours to educational outreach, and 122 hours to supporting healthcare charities.
“We worked hard with clinical and non-clinical colleagues ahead of awarding our facilities management contracts to ensure we got commitments which would mean something to us and provide real benefit for our communities, such as employing local people,” said Sean Greene, Director of Estates and Facilities at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.