The FM industry continues to step up to the challenge set by COVID-19, with ISS UK taking on the soft services contract at ExCeL exhibition centre.

ISS will deliver cleaning, portering, waste management and other soft FM services at the new hospital which will provide support for thousands more patients with Coronavirus at the end of March 2020. 

Based at the ExCeL conference centre in East London, the hospital will initially provide up to 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen. The capacity will then continue to increase, potentially up to 4,000 beds.

On 24 March, it was announced that the exhibition centre was to be temporarily converted into a hospital, with the help of trade contractors and the military.

Soft FM for Nightingale Hospital

Matthew Brabin, CEO, ISS UK & Ireland commented, “We’re honoured to help our nation in these extraordinary times and I’m doubly proud of our great people who have made this possible.” 

Craig Smith, Head of Corporate Affairs at ISS, said: “As market leaders in the provision of healthcare services, ISS is proud to have been asked to provide the Soft FM staffing for the Nightingale Hospital. 

“ISS Healthcare professionals will be managing the cleaning, portering and waste management, whilst working with fellow FM providers to deliver a seamless service into the NHS.

“At this stage the workforce is being drawn from around the country, starting with contracts the company holds with the NHS. Additional staff will be recruited from other areas that are currently on furlough.”

FM Resource Bank

During these challenging times, please consider contributing to our FM Resource Bank.

As a leading voice in the facilities management, workplace and built environment industry, we have started this resource to facilitate an area for service providers to exchange details and ask for support.

The aim of this is to help reuse or repurpose resources or labour, that would otherwise go to waste for the common good of the FM community and the country at large.Through this, we hope to create a flexible pool of additional resources.