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Welcome
To our Annual Review
for 2024-2025
Who We Are
We provide a wide range of important services to our partners, from estates and facilities operations to business support services. We were established in 2017 by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW/ The Trust) and our profits contribute to supporting care in the NHS.
As a limited company we have built a commercial ethos onto our NHS values and now provide our services to other NHS organisations and beyond. We are agile and able to respond to opportunities where the NHS does not have the flexibilities to do so. We are proud of the quality of the services we offer and the part we play in supporting better care.
We are here to make a difference and have a strong social purpose. We support charity work and are driving plans to become carbon net zero and to tackle discrimination and champion equality.
We have a solid track record of service delivery and have grown the range and scope of services we offer since we were established. We have a strong team of people and are confident we can continue to add value and make a difference into the future.
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Members of staff at NTW Solutions
NTW Solutions is a perfect example of what an NHS subsidiary company should be.
What We Do
Estates Services
Managed healthcare facilities, operational estates, management of capital projects, property portfolio and space management, PFI contract management, maintenance of medical devices, sustainability and energy, and fire safety management.
Facilities Services
Domestic services, portering, laundry and linen, patient catering, cafés, waste management, switchboard and reception services, security, car park management, and transport and logistics.
Clinical Support Services
Outpatient pharmacy, patient finance, digital transcription, and materials management.
Business Support Services
Lease cars and staff benefits, workforce, legal and governance services, performance, risk and assurance, finance, procurement, communication and engagement and management consultancy.
Our Strategy
This year, we have refreshed and revitalised our company strategy, building on the solid foundation of our previous strategy. We are ambitious about our future, but also acknowledge the importance of the daily work providing high-quality services which form the bedrock of what we do.
Our vision is to add value to our partners through our services and solutions by focusing on quality, efficiency, our agility and innovation. We believe we can grow our services to support our partners to overcome some of their challenges. We also believe ‘good’ can always be made ‘better’.
We Support Better Care
This is our core mission; it’s why we were created and it’s the reason we continue to exist. Everyone at the company plays a role in supporting better care and there is a clear link between what we all do and the difference we make.
To achieve our core mission, our strategic priorities for 2024-2029 will be to focus on:
• Providing high quality services every day
• Being a great and inclusive place to work
• Having a culture of innovation
• Tackling the climate emergency
• Delivering sustainable growth
Our strategy is a live document, and it shapes how we work. Everyone in our company contributes to our strategy in a meaningful way and people discuss how they can contribute to it. These priorities will be the focus for our Leadership Team meetings and our annual service plans for the next four years.
Our Values
Our values are important to us, and we strive to live by them every day and have them front and centre in all we do.
At NTW Solutions we are:
Caring and Compassionate
Respectful
Honest and
Transparent
Providing High Quality Services Every Day
Brilliant PLACE Assessment Results
In the latest Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) results, we have scored higher than the national average in all the domains i.e. cleanliness, food, privacy dignity & wellbeing, condition appearance and maintenance, dementia and disability. This inspection has highlighted excellent feedback for both our Estates and Facilities teams, and we continue to work on those areas that may require improvement.
Pioneering Procurement Qualifications
Our Procurement team is one of the first in the country to have staff complete a new professional qualification, launched by NHS England and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). This was a great opportunity for our procurement staff to develop their skills and further innovate and improve the service.
Many thanks to the fabulous Café Amelia, as they not only make a lovely meal, but also deliver to the medium secure unit when people are unable to pick up. Massive thank you to you all!
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Email queries responded to by the Electronic Staff Record Team
Innovative Garden Project Delivered
Our Estates Team have delivered a complex project to design and install a safe and secure garden for a service user at Northgate Park, which has allowed them regular access to an outdoor space for the first time in decades. Despite being told it could never be done, the team overcame significant obstacles to deliver the project and help provide a better environment for the service user.
Delivered Manager Training
Our Workforce team created, developed and delivered an innovative Managers’ Training programme, hosted across all our main sites and involving around 140 managers. This programme was introduced in response to feedback requesting support for managers in their role and has been a huge endeavour for the Workforce Team to create and manage across the whole company. This training helps our managers better understand and implement the company policies and protocols in their day-to-day role.
I am enormously thankful that the recruitment team is there to ensure the process is carried out properly, to offer advice for when I’m struggling and to ensure that whatever else I have to do, the workload is shared and supported.
Capital Team Award Win
The Capital Team has been honoured with the prestigious Client of the Year award at both the 2024 National and North East Constructing Excellence Awards. The award recognises the Capital Team’s leadership and commitment to continuous improvement in construction projects. It also highlights their dedication to fostering a culture of collaboration and transparency, empowering their teams to achieve outstanding results.
Ferndene Capital Development
This year, phase three of the Ferndene capital development plan has been well underway, and the Ferndene site will soon be home to 5 distinct clinical areas that take into account diagnostic criteria, clinical presentations, and security levels. All of the Trust’s Children and Young Person’s services have been moved to Ferndene and the redevelopment work will create flexible environments that can cater for the complexity and sensory needs of the different patient groups.
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Purchase orders sent to 1,260 different suppliers
Thank you to the Estates Team for keeping the grounds at Monkwearmouth looking lovely. It's really appreciated!
Structural Changes in Leadership
In 2023, the Trust appointed Matthew Lessells as our new Director of Estates, joining our Company Board as an Executive Director, and replacing the Director of Estates and Facilities role. In May 2024, we appointed Andrew Short as the Director of Facilities for the Company. We now have a director for each Department, who can focus on the specific needs of each area and prioritise delivering excellent services.
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Views of our posts on Facebook
Governance Reviewed
Over the past year, we have done a major review and update for our risk management policy to ensure that we are prepared for any potential risk to the company. We’ve also reviewed our Service Level Agreements with the Trust so they are up to date and reflect the high quality of service we provide with improved efficiencies.
Rowanwood Refurbishment
The Estates Team completed a complex refurbishment of a ward in Cumbria in an incredibly tight time frame. The ward has been transformed both inside and out, including repairs to the timber cladding on the building’s exterior, which has made it look brand new. They worked with service users on the details and their fast work helped to avoid a potentially difficult and lengthy moving process.
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minutes of digital dictations transcribed by our Transcription Team
I’ve been working closely with the Procurement Team for nearly 12 months, and I just want to say the team have been great. They have helped me out so much. I would like to thank you all for your time and support. place to work. You should be very proud!
Being a Great and Inclusive Place to Work
Collaboration with Choices College
NTW Solutions is proud to work with Choices College to give young adults aged 16-24 with learning difficulties and or disabilities, and or Autism tailored work experience. The collaboration has a positive impact on students by equipping them with real-world experience and fostering their independence. Our teams find it hugely rewarding to work alongside the young people who bring energy and a fresh perspective into the workplace.
Harmonised Policies and Protocols
This year, the Workforce team harmonised the policies and protocols for staff on NTW Solutions and TUPE’d terms and conditions, so all staff follow the same guidance. The older policies and protocols were out of date and so bringing all staff together on to the current documents means that our staff are being fully supported by relevant and compassionate company policies.
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Planned maintenance jobs carried out by our Estates Teams
I have found my interactions with the Outpatient pharmacy very useful. The Pharmacy is very knowledgeable about existent guidelines and it has been a pleasure having them to provide guidance.
Secondment Opportunities
This year, we’ve seen more secondment opportunities in the Company than ever before! Our teams have been offering opportunities for staff to try out other departments, to develop new skills and learn different systems. Our Finance Team were proactive in seeking alternative recruitment routes that would benefit our workforce and now we’ve seen secondment successes in the Procurement and ESR teams too.
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Invoices processed
Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month
Our Catering Team helped to organise and manage our first South Asian Heritage Month special café menu. Working with CNTWs Cultural Diversity Network, they organised taster sessions for network members to try the food and curate their South Asian Heritage Month Menu. The food was delicious, and it was a great example of the collaboration between the Staff Network and our Facilities Teams to deliver something exciting.
Staff Facebook Networks
We’ve launched several Facebook network groups to provide a community spaces for staff in different groups. This includes a Menopause Network, a Disability Network and a Cultural Diversity Network. Staff can use these spaces to connect with others across the Company, in different sectors and on different sites, to share experiences and resources to support each other.
The Team rallied heroically to get the work done on time, working extra shifts at short notice and really going the extra mile to ensure Transcription continued to provide an excellent service to clinicians.
Thank you to the Monkwearmouth portering team for always being so helpful.
Introduced New Supportive Leave Protocols
We have introduced new and innovative leave protocols to help support staff in the workplace when they are going through difficult life events. This includes Fertility Treatment Support leave for those on a fertility journey and Pregnancy Loss leave. This initiative not only supports the employee undergoing treatment but also extends to employees who are partners of those going through treatments. These suggestions for new protocols came from our staff engagement work, listening to the voices of our workforce.
Domestic Team Charity Work
Our Domestic Team at St Nicholas Hospital have been organising multiple fundraising efforts for the Trust’s SHINE charity. They have coordinated book sales, Valentines raffles, Easter tombola’s and this year they even organised their very own Christmas market all for SHINE. The team have raised thousands for charity this year alone and continue to organise bigger fundraising activities in the future.
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hot drinks served in our cafés
In my meeting with the team today, they advised that the Property Team have been exceptionally helpful to them whilst they have navigated the new office space for them. It has been very much appreciated.
The Domestic staff here are very good and need additional praise. The Estates team are well ahead of their game within their scheme of responsibility. Well done to all staff at this facility.
Having a Culture of Innovation
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Application forms processed by our recruitment team
Porter Request System
We introduced a new system, using Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, which allows staff to request porter services. The system has been built in-house to help automate portering requests, making it easier for staff to get in touch and ask for assistance. Using the form, we can increase efficiencies, saving the staff using the service and the porters themselves time. This has cost us nothing to develop but will save us a lot in time and resources.
Innovation Appreciation
Following our staff forums focusing on innovation, a member of staff suggested that we reward people who share and support new ideas for the company. We share and celebrate new Bright Ideas every month in our Team Brief, and after that feedback, we’ve implemented a monthly Innovation Appreciation. This means innovators can win a voucher and a social media shout out, so we can reward and encourage staff to keep innovating.
Thank you to the Monkwearmouth portering team for always being so helpful.
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Reactive repair and maintenance jobs our estates teams carried out
We would like to say an ongoing thank you to the staff at Café Tanni. They always go over and above to provide specialised meals for the young people who attend the department.
Procurement Credit Cards
Procurement and Finance have worked together on a new and improved system whereby people who need to pay for something receive a bespoke one-off payment card which has the exact right amount of money loaded onto it. This has simplified the process for procurement and finance, saving time for both our teams and for staff needing to make card payments.
Automating Processes
The Communications Team have used Power Automate to set up an automatic email system when someone submits information into one of the company forms. We have increased our efficiency and saved time with the responses going direct to individuals or shared mailboxes. This also meant we could identify any priority information without needing to click through into the form and into the responses.
Fantastic fast response - well done Facilities Team on changing my car details so quickly
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Inspections of medical devices were performed
Testing New Technology
Our Facilities Teams are trialling the latest new machines which could really transform the equipment we use to keep our sites clean. The new kit has been put into frontline service to see how it performs and to get feedback from the experts – the staff who use them every day. This means that when equipment needs to be replaced it will allow us to buy the most effective and efficient ones on the market.
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Reactive maintenance jobs completed by our Estates Team
Implementation of Atamis platform
The Procurement Team have fully embraced the new eProcurement platform Atamis, which is an NHS wide software platform designed to support the procurement process. It uses several modules for managing workload and activity including, Workplan Management, Tender Management, Contract Management and reporting tools. All of these systems really support the Procurement Team in organising and managing their workloads and increases efficiency in the team.
The Compliance Team are always quick to respond to queries and help set up colleagues with access to CAFM - it's really appreciated, thank you!
Tackling the Climate Emergency
Sustainability Funding Success
The Sustainability Team secured a substantial funding grant to help us on the road to net zero. They won the £820,000 grant to help us reduce our energy use. The funds will be used to install LED lighting, upgrade heating controls and introduce automatic utility metering on some sites, which will save the Trust and Company money as well as energy.
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Lease car quotes produced for customers
Read all about it
Wildflower Meadow
A mix of wildflower seeds and bulbs were planted at Carleton Clinic in Carlisle which will provide a biodiversity boost to the site. The flowers chosen are an attractive year-round display which can be enjoyed by patients, staff, and visitors alike. The seeds and bulbs are from an expert Dutch supplier which has worked hard to improve the sustainability of their growing and distribution process and have been selected for their suitability for the conditions and the needs of wildlife.
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ID badges printed for staff
Trialling New Sharps Bin
The new sharps bin we are trialling is the world’s first reusable sharps bin that meets the international safety standard and there is a reduction in CO2 as it moves away from single use plastic. Unlike single-use containers, reusable bins are designed to be sanitised and reused multiple times, dramatically decreasing the amount of plastic waste.
Saving Money with Medical Devices
Our Clinical Technologist is leading the way with reducing e-waste and conserving resources by using his knowledge and extensive experience of the medical devices to know where devices and spares might be possible to be reused. During a ward decommissioning, he identified thousands of pounds of equipment that can be reused elsewhere.
Sycamore Sapling
We are delighted that a new Sycamore tree will be planted at the Sycamore Unit in Morpeth after securing one of the saplings from the tree that was sadly felled at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. The news is fitting as art and nature have played a crucial role in creating a therapeutic environment at the Sycamore Unit.
Could I just pass on my praise of your domestic staff at Benton House, I don’t work there often but every time I do, the facilities and everywhere are immaculate, the staff are always really helpful and happy, it’s a pleasure working in such a high standard of cleaning.
Sycamore Sustainability
The Sycamore Unit is a 72-bed medium secure unit at Northgate Park, Morpeth, which has replaced several older, less sustainable buildings. Bringing these together into one modern building has improved the overall energy efficiency of the site. The building is highly insulated and air-tight; to reduce the need for heating or cooling wherever possible and we’ve planted native plants that are good for bees and pollinating insects. The Sycamore Unit has achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating in the ‘BREEAM’ standards. This is an internationally recognised sustainability assessment standard.
Thank you to the Estates Team for your work in the chill out room, all staff and patients agree how fabulous the work is, and feel it was done in a timely manner.
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LED lights installed
Greening the Fleet
This year, we’ve replaced our diesel vans with a fleet of new electric vehicles, for transporting things such as pharmacy deliveries, furniture and post. This will lead to a saving of around five tonnes of carbon each year for each van replaced. The removal of vehicle emissions will help with cleaner air on and around our sites, many of which are in residential areas. The vans have been kitted out with the company logo and a note to say that they are 100% electric, to demonstrate pride in our new electric fleet.
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Patient meals served across the Trust
Delivering Sustainable Growth
Estates in Cumbria
After taking over management of the Cumbria Estates in the previous year, we officially welcomed the full estates team into the Company this year. The move has helped to integrate the Estates team into our wider Operational Estates Service and will enhance the management and maintenance of key healthcare facilities in Cumbria.
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Calls made to switchboard at St Nicholas Hospital
The Finance Team are always happy to help and quick to respond to any query
Café Development Officer
To help develop and grow the commercial capacity of our cafes, the Facilities Team have welcomed a new member of staff into the service as a Café Development Officer. This new role has been a great addition to the catering department as it means there is someone who is dedicated to supporting our various café’s to grow and provide a consistent service whilst also encouraging them to find their own unique and creative styles.
Nearly New Lease Cars
In response to customer feedback, the Everyone Benefits Team have delivered a new service as part of the lease car scheme, offering second-hand lease cars. This broadens the accessibility of the lease car scheme, as the potential lower costs mean that more staff can benefit from the lease car advantages and the lease car team can advertise to a new market.
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Items dispensed on average by our outpatient pharmacy each month
Cumbria Pharmacy Services Streamlined
Our Superintendent Pharmacist and the Outpatient Pharmacy Team have done incredible work taking on medicine supplies to North Cumbria community teams. The project involved transferring services and contracts and a harmonisation of processes. The pharmacy team and the community teams continue to work together to improve logistics and increase efficiency.
Throughout these 2 months all staff have been extremely supportive and friendly. Particularly the friendly café staff, great food and discount that makes it very affordable!
Our Staff Awards
Below are the individuals and teams from across NTW Solutions nominated in the CNTW Staff Awards 2024.
Huge congratulations to all nominees.
Individual of the Year Nominees
Alison Archibald
Alison is said to go above and beyond every day in her role. She’s a domestic on a ward and nothing is ever too much trouble. She cares greatly about the patients and strives to make the ward a welcoming and clean environment. One staff member said Alison’s enthusiasm and kindness boosts morale in the team.
Alan Kendal
Alan always gives 100%. He tries to make life easier for wards and clinical teams, limiting any inconvenience for them. Kind and thoughtful, he has been known to bring selection boxes and Easter eggs to children and young people at Ferndene. His charitable efforts are well-known on the hospital site.
Terry Lee
Terry’s can-do attitude and commitment are what make him special. He is a porter at Ferndene and nothing is too much to ask. Staff say he is proactive and will always try to resolve any issues as quickly as he can. Adaptable and dependable, colleagues know they can rely on Terry.
Ailsa Miller
Last year, Ailsa celebrated 40 years in the NHS, a testament to her dedication and enthusiasm. She is the Trust’s Patients Finance & Cashiers Manager, a unique finance role due to providing direct support to patients. Ailsa also supports the Trust’s charity, managing charitable funds applications and helping with fundraising activities.
Team of the Year Nominees
Café Tanni Walkergate Park
Café Tanni at Walkergate Park welcomes customers with a diverse range of needs. Patients and carers have said the café feels like a safe space beyond the ward where they can go and have a bit of freedom. A staff member said: “The team should be applauded for their ability to create a warm, safe and engaging environment for all who visit.”
Capital Development Team
The team consistently delivers award-winning mental health buildings, notably Sycamore at Northgate Park, which is the largest single capital project the Trust has ever undertaken. The small team worked tirelessly with many different stakeholders, while remaining focussed on creating the best possible outcomes for patients and staff.
Estates Team
South
The team has had a busy year working on projects at a number of Trust sites. Their willingness to help with issues at short notice has been instrumental in the smooth running of these projects. They are innovative with ideas to ensure minimal impact on patients. They maintain properties to the highest of standards so that clinical staff can deliver the best quality care.
Property
Team
The Property Team always go above and beyond. They have been nominated for delivering Wearmouth View, a new state-of-the-art building at Monkwearmouth Hospital. Their knowledge, skill and communication during the build has been described as second-to-none. This is down to the hard work and dedication of the Property Team.
And the Winners are...
Alan Kendal
Capital Development Team
Congratulations!
A Message from the Chair
& the Managing Director
We both hope you enjoyed reading through our Annual Review for 2024/25. This is our chance to celebrate all of the great things we have achieved as a company over the past year. It is truly inspiring to see how much our teams have accomplished in the past 12 months. From welcoming the Estates Team in Cumbria into our Company to our Domestic Team hosting their own charity Christmas Fayre, these stories reflect our commitment to our strategy and values.
This year has been another year that has seen immense pressure on the NHS and as a result our mission to support better care has never been more important. It’s at times like these where we can use our strength to support CNTW by continuing to deliver high quality services in the most efficient way.
You may remember that last year that we mentioned our brand-new strategy. Over the past 12 months we have truly embraced and embedded the new strategy into our company ethos and structure.
Our new strategy reflects the confidence and maturity we have as a successful and established business. You can read more about the new strategy later in the review.
So, get comfortable and settle into our latest Annual Review. We are incredibly proud of our staff and the fantastic work they do daily, and this review is a testament to their dedication to supporting better care. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did.
Our second reflection is that as a company with a core purpose of supporting better care, that this runs visibly right throughout this review. It is visible in the fantastic new buildings we have delivered and the everyday work of maintaining clean and safe environments.
Our third reflection is that we work best when we work together as a team of support services and there are some great examples in this review where almost all of our services needed to collaborate to deliver a large scale project, such as the Sycamore Unit at Northgate. It is a fantastic achievement, notably for our Capital Team, to complete the most challenging project they have ever undertaken. And then we saw it seamlessly operationalised by our other estates teams and facilities teams, all of this supported by our business support teams such as Workforce who helped recruit the staff who now work there.
Our final reflection is that everyone at NTW Solutions should be truly proud of their achievements in such a successful year. We certainly are.
Looking ahead, something else we have been busy with this year is reviewing our strategy and this is the last annual review using our 2021-2024 strategy. We hope you find this review interesting and that you enjoy sharing in some of our successes.
Malcolm Aiston
Tracey Sopp
Thank you for reading!
Registered Address
Arran House
St Nicholas Hospital
Jubilee Road
Gosforth
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE3 3XT
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NTW Solutions Limited is a wholly owned subsidary of Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Registered Company Number 10458774. VAT Registration Number 262 2761 11
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