Why day one matters: Mobilizing critical FM services in healthcare

Healthcare
Jun. 30, 2026

Case Study: A transformative partnership with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

When a new facilities management provider takes over service delivery in a healthcare environment, there is no grace period. Patient meals have to be compliant and nutritious, wards cleaned to national standards and portering services must maintain patient flow from the first hour of day one. In the United Kingdom NHS (National Health Service), these services are not peripheral, they are fundamental to safe, effective clinical care and outstanding patient experience. Getting mobilization right first time is therefore not optional — it is critical.

The Challenge

In December 2024, Sodexo formed a transformative partnership with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) to deliver soft facilities management services across 20 sites, including Colchester and Ipswich hospitals and 18 community facilities.

Following a Trust Board decision to move to a single external provider, Sodexo was appointed to deliver a consistent service covering patient dining, cleaning, portering, security and more.

sites
+
beds
+
colleagues to transfer

The Solutions

Mobilization and stakeholder engagement began immediately, with phased roll-out across sites from April to July 2025. The transition was seamless, ensuring service continuity while welcoming over 1,000 colleagues, half of whom transferred from the NHS and half from the incumbent provider.

subject matter experts
staff group events
Innovations
introduced to enhance service delivery

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Meeting the challenge with expertise and empathy

When it came to mobilizing a contract of this scale, it demanded a people-first mindset. Our ESNEFT Business Director and Mobilization Lead led more than 30 subject matter experts, including estates, HR, finance, IT, communications and others, to prioritize patient experience.

Robust governance was embedded from day one, with jointly developed mobilization tools, risk registers and readiness plans. Rigorous reporting ensured alignment was maintained.

Crucially, executive team support played a vital role through peer-to-peer leadership meetings, site visits and regular briefings that fostered momentum and trust. This deep engagement helped lay the foundations for long-term success.

Supporting people through change

In the UK, when a contract of this scale occurs, employees and their employment rights are transferred to the new operator under a law known as TUPE - Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment). Transitioning over 1,000 colleagues under TUPE required broad stakeholder engagement managed with empathy and transparency.

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Recognizing that some staff had concerns about being transferred to a new employer, the mobilization team adopted a “One Team” ethos, which shaped our entire approach. We worked collaboratively alongside ESNEFT colleagues with the goal of creating a unified culture, underpinned by shared KPIs, aligned behaviors, and regular recognition touchpoints.

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We combined structured communication with personal engagement, bespoke welcome letters, over 70 group events, and dedicated one-to-one conversations to help ease concerns and build trust. Bespoke uniforms were created for the team and all communications utilized this to create a sense of identity and belonging.

Our co-created, values-led culture – bolstered by the invaluable support of our suppliers Apetito and Vileda in delivering targeted training – helped maintain morale and resilience through high-pressure deadlines, leading to smooth service go-lives across all sites.

The Results

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I’m really pleased with the way it’s going. We’ve seen significant improvement, for example with Portering times, we’ve had good feedback from staff and patients about the catering offer that’s available, and we’ve had good audits around cleaning. But what I’ve really been impressed with is that word partnership. We’re working with you, you’re working with us all with that real focus around improving the lives of the people that we serve, improving the lives of our community, making our staff happier, and that is the key to really good partnership working

Nick HulmeCEO, ESNEFT

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Delivering with care and precision

Health, safety and wellbeing were central throughout mobilization. From site audits to tailored training, such as disease-informed nutrition modules for catering staff, every detail was designed for quality and compliance. Menus were co-developed with clinical leads to meet DIGEST and Hospital Food Standards. Catering teams took part in food tastings to build their confidence and engage with patients, staff and visitors.

Our new Kitchen Works retail offer has launched at Colchester and Ipswich, bringing pre-ordering, click-and-collect, and street food pop-ups to enhance convenience and choice. Feedback was gathered directly from staff and patients via stands and surveys to inform the end solution.

Structured, transparent reporting kept stakeholders informed and enabled agile decision-making. Key updates on performance, risks and workforce integration ensured accountability and clarity throughout the process. Important messages were shared via Trust email, print, and digital platforms – reinforcing shared goals and raising awareness among the wider hospital community.

Innovation and social impact from day one

A digital platform with intuitive dashboards and analytics provides clinical and non-clinical teams with real-time insights into patient concerns and expectations about non-clinical services – captured from bedside conversations by newly recruited Patient Ambassadors.

A digital information guide has been launched for patients, empowering them with information on menus, who’s who in the team, hospital and ward routines, FAQs and ways to feedback.

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A dedicated Social Value Manager is leading our joint efforts on sustainability, wellbeing, and local impact. Together with ESNEFT, we’ve launched a Sustainability & Wellbeing calendar and on-site counselling for frontline staff.

Our environmental commitments are equally ambitious. Sodexo has achieved Level 4 (the highest level) on the NHS Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment – thanks to initiatives like WasteWatch and our 2025 goal of 100% recyclable or compostable packaging.

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We’re also proud to introduce Combat2Coffee – a social enterprise supporting veterans and ex-offenders through barista training at both hospitals.

A well-planned and well-delivered mobilization provides stability at a critical moment of change. It ensures continuity for patients, confidence for clinical colleagues and reassurance for employees transferring into new teams.

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This commitment to seamless delivery underpins our approach to healthcare mobilization and sets the foundation for long-term, high-quality service delivery.

We have supported healthcare clients for more than 40 years and, globally, we operate across more than 1,700 hospital sites - applying learnings from best practice around the world to inform our approach.

Find out more about our services for Healthcare

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This case study was first published on the Sodexo UK & Ireland website: Why day one matters: Mobilising critical FM services in healthcare

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Why day one matters: Mobilizing critical FM services in healthcare

Overview

The Challenge

The Solutions

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Meeting the challenge with expertise and empathy

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The Results

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Delivering with care and precision

Innovation and social impact from day one

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More about Sodexo

Workplace Experience

Food

Modern Recipe

Workplace Experience

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The Results

Delivering with care and precision

Innovation and social impact from day one

More about Sodexo

Workplace Experience

Food

Modern Recipe

Workplace Experience