Long-term hire offers solution to NHS capital investment shortfall

Published: 6-Nov-2019

Ageing equipment upgrades will help NHS trusts meet demand for estates improvements

Following a survey which found that over 80% of NHS executives believe NHS capital investment shortfalls are placing patients at risk; trusts are being advised to consider long-term hire as a solution to problem.

Conducted by NHS Providers; the survey highlights how ageing equipment and infrastructure are increasing the risk to patients.

And this concern is compounded by recent statistics released by the Estates Return Information Collective (ERIC), which suggests a £6.5billion maintenance work backlog across the entire NHS hospital portfolio.

Over half of this backlog, which has increased from £6billion last year, includes maintenance issues that could pose a ‘high’ or ‘significant’ risk to patients.

The statistics also highlight that resolving only high-risk issues would cost the NHS £1.1billion alone – a figure that has doubled since 2016.

This continued lack of capital investment is putting increasing pressure on ageing generator equipment, which will continue to decline in efficiency and reliability, resulting in mounting costs due to lower performance and potential breakdowns.

With this in mind, and considering the unacceptability of even one hour of downtime in the hospital environment, Aggreko is highlighting how long-term temporary equipment hire could provide a ‘bridging gap’ solution to help solve this worsening situation.

As a supplier of temporary power solutions to hospitals and healthcare facilities around the world; Aggreko provides cost-effective and energy-efficient cogeneration technology and diesel generators for back-up and power generation applications.

By treating such solutions as an ongoing operating expense, hospital facility managers can avoid budget constraints around capital investment, while still realising efficiency benefits and saving for a permanent installation.

“Ageing, inefficient combined heat and power systems and standby power generators can be a drain on hospital funds,” said Craig Fleming, Aggreko’s sector team leader for NHS and government services.

“With many facilities managers bound by capex constraints, temporary equipment could offer a ‘bridging gap’ solution that allows hospitals to enjoy new, efficient systems without potential prohibitive upfront costs.

“A long-term hire solution not only provides hospitals with an off-balance sheet option with no requirement for depreciation of tangible assets; they can also take advantage of the equipment’s maintenance capacity during this time.

“Because suppliers will ensure product optimisation and maintenance support for hired equipment, facilities managers and hospital stakeholders can enjoy peace of mind around the solution’s ongoing performance.”

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