16 Sep 2002

On Tuesday 9th July, Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd received two awards reflecting the improvements it has achieved to services at the Cumberland Infirmary within its integrated service contract with the Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust.

BS EN ISO 9001/2000 Quality Assurance

Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd has gained the first ever BS EN ISO 9001/2000 accreditation for a hospital environment, in recognition of its Quality Management System at the Cumberland Infirmary. The Quality Management System lays down written procedures and standards for Interserve to work to across all of the Facilities Management activities it carries out for the hospital. These include catering, portering, cleaning, estates management, waste management, help desk, switchboard, reception, office administration, car parking, security, mailroom and laundry services. To ensure that the services continue to develop, Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd has introduced an internal audit programme, which will be supported by independent audits to be carried out annually by the British Standards Institute (BSI).

Secured Car Parks Scheme

Following a two year process of upgrading and improvement, Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd has obtained Secured Car Park certification of car parks A and D at the Cumberland Infirmary and has embarked on an assessment of other parking areas at the hospital. Administered by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the British Parking Association, the scheme aims to raise security standards in car parks. To be awarded Secured Car Park status Interserve (Facilities Management) Ltd had to meet a stringent set of standards, including good design and management, an effective level of security patrols, good lighting and the provision of help points.