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How Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust benefited from specialist engineering services

The challenge

Many hospitals in Britain are well over 100 years old, so it's not surprising that upkeep of buildings is an ongoing task. Hospital Facilities Managers have the additional challenge of each building being uniquely different - some were built before modern innovation while others were constructed to encompass new technology. Staff working across hospital campuses must be skilled in adjusting to equipment and heating systems from different eras. Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust is no exception - two of its original buildings date back to 1840. Like so many others, the Trust must ensure its various maintenance tasks are carried out satisfactorily, and typically very quickly, when in-house resources are often limited.

The solution

When Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust learned of Manpower Dewsbury Technical Branch's specialist healthcare engineering service, it was immediately impressed.

"From hearing about their stringent selection and assessment, we felt confident that Manpower could provide quality and skilled temporary labour to suit our needs," says Malcolm Sommerville, the Trust's Estates Officer. "Manpower seemed to offer that little bit more than we could get from local agencies."

Within the Trust, using temporary staff, even for periods of 12 months or more, was preferable to recruiting permanently or employing contractors. "It can be quite difficult to justify taking on a permanent employee and, as is often the case within the public sector, hiring people on temporary contracts is not generally favoured" explains Malcolm.

The benefits

Since first calling on Manpower's Dewsbury Technical Branch 18 months ago, Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust has used several temporary, skilled technical staff - from fitters and joiners to electricians.

"When it comes to supplying skilled labour, Manpower has really shone," says Malcolm. "We are very pleased with the quality of work."

The success of Manpower Dewsbury Technical branch's healthcare engineering facility is due to its ability to find staff with the right attitude and personality, as well as the necessary expertise. Maintenance staff working within hospital wards must be sensitive to the environment.

"It's very important to us that staff have the right communication skills," says Malcolm. "They have to introduce themselves properly on and off wards and liaise with doctors and nurses as necessary. Manpower understood the need to identify these skills."

Cost, flexibility and simplicity have all been - and continue to be - important benefits for the Trust.

Says Malcolm: "Using Manpower is costing us slightly less than employing someone direct, with the added advantage of not going thorough the tedious and lengthy process of recruitment. And, if things change tomorrow, I know I can get someone with the right skills straight away."

"Now that I've developed a good working relationship with Manpower, I see no reason to go anywhere else for temporary staff. Even if it costs us a bit less to use a local agency, I'm confident we'd get better quality through Manpower, allowing us to get the work done far more efficiently."

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