Harefield Hospital is a world leader in heart and lung care.
When preparing to bring their outsourced facilities management services back in-house, they faced a complex and sensitive task.
The move was part of a wider process following a merger with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The change triggered a Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) or TUPE process, affecting more than 300 staff.
But this wasn’t just a staffing challenge. It was a challenge to maintain the highest standards. Which meant it was also a significant communications challenge.
Facilities management teams play a vital role in ensuring that hospitals run smoothly.
Developing the internal comms strategy - copywriting to explain change clearly
There was a need to communicate the best practices for running facilities to new colleagues to maintain their sector-leading scores.
Before the merger, they got a 97% patient satisfaction score for catering, and above-and-beyond practices in cleaning and infection control.
Our role was to help Harefield define, defend and help to communicate its facilities management needs.
And then to write the documentation that would guide a smooth and successful transition.
What we did
Working closely with Harefield leads and section heads, we delivered a full set of improved facilities management workstream specifications.
These were tailored to the hospital’s exacting clinical, patient and operational needs. They included:
● Reviewing and rewriting multiple service specifications, from catering and cleaning to pest control
● Conducting interviews and cross-checking existing documentation to ensure accuracy and alignment
● Writing contextual narratives that explained why Harefield exceeds baseline NHS standards, and how those standards protect outcomes
● Mapping KPI frameworks, including how Harefield’s metrics complement PLACE assessments
Alongside this, we provided flexible communications support from drafting plain-language TUPE briefings and employer liability check templates to creating an internal pack that helped the facilities management team make the case for maintaining the highest possible standards.
The results
Harefield Hospital successfully navigated a high-stakes in-housing process without compromising its quality of care.
It achieved this with full visibility for staff, managers, and partners throughout.
