The Hub is pleased to introduce a new division, Estates and ICT.  Simon Norden, head of The Hub’s recently created Estates and ICT division, spells out the aims of the new department and looks ahead to the challenges facing his team.

We aim to develop our offering in Estates and ICT and want to work closer with members to understand their challenges so we can facilitate solutions and additional capacity.  We wish to forge closer relationships with Estates and ICT teams to fully understand their current challenges.

We have initiated Stakeholder mapping exercises across both sectors and are looking for members’ assistance with this.  We also want to work closely with members to establish trust, ICS and regional workplans to establish the most efficient/collaborative ways of working.

Both Business Services and the new Estates and ICT divisions are aligned to the Procurement Target Operating Model (PTOM) councils which have senior Procurement in Partnership (PiP) representation.  I am a member of PiP working parties for each division which reports to these senior leads.

Our links with the councils allow us to deliver central messages and practices and provide extra support on any guidance given.  It also means our members have a voice for concerns and considerations to be heard at a national level.

We appreciate the ongoing challenges within Estates and Facilities, particularly that of clearing the backlog of maintenance work following COVID. The creation of the new department, together with the plan to recruit additional team members, mean we will be able to deliver more support than ever before to help in projects such as this. 

If you would like to share any of your Estates or ICT challenges or wish to find out how we can support you, please contact Simon.Norden@eoecph.nhs.uk.