Partnering for seamless healthcare

Socially Responsible Workplaces

The partnership
ISS has worked with DFN Project SEARCH, a national charity, across both our private and public sector businesses to provide structured, supported internship programmes to equip young adults with disabilities with the skills, confidence and experience they need to secure long-term employment.

Participants, aged 16–24 with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) or equivalent, remain enrolled at their school or college but are based full-time within a host business. Throughout the programme, they receive up to 800 hours of structured on-the-job learning, supported by teachers, job coaches, managers, and mentors.

To help them develop a broad range of skills, they complete three 10-week rotations in different roles within the host business. By working with prestigious employer partners across multiple sectors, DFN Project SEARCH provides young people with real-world experience and the opportunity to develop valuable skills.

Meet Cormack
Cormack Mylchreest joined ISS through DFN Project SEARCH, securing a role as a porter at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Trust. Born with cerebral palsy, Cormack was driven by a desire to make a difference in the very hospital where he had received physiotherapy throughout his life.

Having already become a well-known and beloved figure at the hospital, in 2025 Cormack won the title of the National MyPorter Awards 'Newcomer of the Year'.

Patient and Employee Experience

Calderdale & Huddersfield Trust wanted to improve the nutritional experience and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable patient groups.

We introduced:

• Bespoke menu planning and nutrition profiling

• Snack platters for elderly patients to improve calorie intake

• A new role: catering supervisor with dedicated customer service remit

• Child-friendly cutlery and meals tailored to paediatric care

These enhancements led to improved patient satisfaction scores and reduced mealtime complaints — reinforcing that thoughtful, inclusive catering plays a key role in patient recovery.

Operational Efficiency

Royal Derby Hospital, part of University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, partnered with ISS to tackle a familiar challenge: how to free up more clinical time and improve the smooth running of high demand departments.

In response, ISS developed the Support Team Assistant (STA) role — a new kind of non-clinical post tailored to the specific operational needs of each department. STAs work alongside ward teams in areas such as imaging, theatres, discharge lounges, and emergency departments.

Nowhere is the impact more visible than in Imaging. Here, the STA supports over 1,500 procedures a day by maintaining medical stock levels, tracking deliveries, preparing trolleys and equipment, and facilitating patient movement — all without drawing time from nurses or radiographers. This ensures the right supplies are available for every scan or procedure, improving patient flow and experience.

The STA programme has enhanced efficiency, reduced bottlenecks, and enabled clinical staff to focus on care. It exemplifies how a smartly designed, empathetic support service can meaningfully contribute to prevention, flow, and patient experience — core aims of the NHS 10-Year Plan.

Social Value

ISS Healthcare has supported over 100 young adults with learning disabilities and autism into meaningful employment through DFN Project Search placements across NHS contracts.

One standout story: at Lewisham Greenwich Trust, a Project Search intern progressed from facilities placement to full-time employment, eventually becoming a peer mentor for new interns.

This not only transformed individual lives but reinforced NHS Social Value outcomes — demonstrating our role as a workforce pipeline for inclusive employment.

Safety

In a live NHS ward environment, ISS Healthcare is developing Evidence Based Cleaning — targeting contamination based on scientific analysis of surfaces and touchpoints.

The study will result in:

• A measurable reduction in environmental contamination risk

• Enhanced confidence amongst ward staff and infection control teams

• Optimised use of cleaning materials, contributing to sustainability goals

This approach is now being developed into a scalable model, elevating the role of cleaning from compliance to frontline infection prevention, directly supporting the Plan's focus on preventative health.

Maintenance Backlog

At University Hospital Hairmyres, ISS supports both facilities management and lifecycle-led capital improvement projects across a 440-bed acute site. The challenge: outdated infrastructure, urgent replacement needs, and high-risk works in live care environments.

Over the past 18 months, ISS has delivered a series of high-impact projects that demonstrate the ability to clear backlog risk without disruption to care:

• Wards 10 & 11 Refurbishment — £1.2m refurbishment delivered in 24 weeks, including new ceilings, LED lighting, nurse call, and full replacement of pipework and sanitaryware.

• Theatre 6 Refurbishment — A full LC theatre upgrade delivered in a live surgical unit — completed safely, on time, and within budget.

• Water Storage Tank Replacement — End-of-life CWST units replaced with a new configuration that allows future isolation and maintenance. The project was delivered without interrupting the site's water supply.

• Boiler Plant Renewal in the Mental Health Unit — To ensure continuous hot water for vulnerable service users, ISS installed a temporary boilerhouse during the replacement of three critical ACV boilers — enabling compliant delivery without downtime.

Each project was designed, programmed, and delivered by ISS in partnership with NHS stakeholders. The results: reduced risk, improved environments, and assurance of safety and compliance — all while maintaining patient dignity and care.

These interventions are a direct response to the NHS 10-Year Plan's call to modernise estates and shift toward more resilient, efficient infrastructure — a foundation for future-facing, digitally enabled, and decentralised models of care.

Refurbishment, Reconfiguration & Renewal

Client: NHS Trust
Location: Scotland
Value: £1.6m (combined projects)

Summary
ISS Projects delivered critical refurbishments to improve patient care and operational efficiency, including the full renewal of Theatre 6 and the refurbishment of Wards 10 and 11. Works involved structural adaptations, M&E upgrades, and compliance-driven improvements across live clinical environments.

Result
Projects were delivered within tight timescales and under stringent infection control measures, ensuring zero disruption to essential hospital services. The upgrades have enhanced surgical capability, improved patient experience, and aligned facilities with current NHS standards.