About Us
Establishment and Status
The Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency (Health
Estates) was established as an Executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Services in October
1999 as the only body in Northern Ireland with recognised expertise in all aspects of the Health and
Social Services estate.
In May 2002 the Northern Ireland Executive approved a new public procurement
policy for the public sector in Northern Ireland. Under this policy Health Estates is formally
accredited as a 'Centre of Procurement Expertise' (COPE) construction and design services for the Department.
The Agency's COPE status was re-accredited after an indepth assessment
of all NICS COPEs in September 2005.
The future organisational status of Health Estates is presently under
consideration, as part of the Review of Public Administration, following the announcement that it would
be de-agentised and merged into the new HSS structures.
Strategic Aim
The Agency's strategic aim is to support the mission statement of the
Department by providing a centre of specialist professional and technical estate expertise which supports
the development and maintenance of an efficient and effective HSS estate for the delivery of health
and personal social services.
Agency Functions
In pursuit of this strategic aim the key functions of the Agency are
as follows:
- Policy and Guidance
Provision
of advice and support to the minister, the Department and the HPSS on all estate, facilities management
and equipment related matters including reserach, development, validation of documentation and monitoring
performance.
Development of estate and facilities management related policies and
guidance for dissemination and application within the HPSS.
Provision of medical device and estate management technical safety guidance
to the Department, the HPSS and the wider health and social care community.
- Centre of Procurement and Specialist Expertise Provision of a strategic estate planning function on behalf of the Department.
Advice
and support for planning, project management and procurement of health and social services related capital
projects and acting as the formally accredited COPE for the Department and the HPSS.
Promotion of design excellence and fulfilment of the 'Design Champion'role
on behalf of the Department
Provision of specialist engineering support and guidance to the department
and the HPSS in relation to key engineering systems.
Provision of a regional information centre for the HSS estate.
Strategic oversight and implementation of a regional framework for clinical
waste management.
- Support Services
Provision
of a range of estate related support services to the HPSS with a small group focussing on 'emerging
works' and 'enabling works' that supports major projects, eg Decant, Accomodation Services and Infrastructure
Works.
Services also include:
- Architectural, mechanical/electrical engineering and quantity surveying services.
- Clinical engineering advisory services.
- Decontamination testing services.
- Site Inspection Services.
- Specialist land and property advice and support.
