Part 4: EFM Technicians
Technicians sit at the centre of NHS Estates. They keep high-risk systems safe, compliant, and functioning under pressure. Yet their knowledge is often locked in local teams, legacy systems, or personal experience. This blog looks at two Technician personas from my research, David Dependable and Alex Adaptive, to show what these roles contribute, where they struggle, and what a more connected future could look like.
Competent Persons are the hands on the system. During COVID, their expertise made the difference between safe operations and real risk. Several Trusts faced missing or inaccurate MGPS documentation. One CP summed it up starkly:
“Drawings were very poor, so it was almost starting again. But what was fundamental in all of this, was the local knowledge of the APs and the CPs who have got quite a bit of experience and have grown with the services.”
The strength of that institutional memory kept oxygen flowing.
David joined the NHS after years working overseas as a mechanical fitter. Alex came through plumbing, contracting, and is now completing an apprenticeship in building services. Both support MGPS, but in different ways.
David, now an NHS-internal MGPS Technician, holds deep knowledge of his Trust’s systems. Alex works across MGPS, ventilation, and decontamination as a contractor, switching between sites and stakeholders while progressing through formal training.
Both have applied engineering backgrounds. Both build expertise through CP and AP courses, mentoring, and day-to-day practice. These mixed learning routes are typical across NHS Estates.
Job descriptions expect Technicians to hold core engineering knowledge alongside safety, regulation, and data management skills. In practice, both David and Alex rely heavily on problem solving, situational judgement, and the ability to diagnose issues quickly.
Alex emphasises financial, HR, and communication skills because his role spans multiple organisations. David places more weight on data and information management because internal teams often carry the history of the estate.
This blend of skills underpins the structured roles in high-risk services. APs (together with AEs) appoint CPs. CPs deliver the work against SOPs and standards. Training is essential at every stage.
David Dependable: A long-serving NHS MGPS Technician with deep local knowledge built through experience, CP training and years of working within the same estate. Represents the strengths and constraints of inhouse CP roles.
David leans on national guidance, Trust-internal documentation, and practical experience. Alex looks outward towards CPD, manufacturer training, and best practice across other Trusts.
Both rely on AEs and APs for specialist input. Both value CP courses for hands-on learning. Both use experience as their main reference point.
Three issues appear across the interviews.
Limited peer networks. Many Technicians simply do not know equivalent colleagues elsewhere. Several commented that they had no personal contacts in similar roles across other Trusts.
Time pressure. Operational workload means APs and CPs cannot easily step away to visit other sites or host colleagues. Directors were clear that taking a Ventilation AP out of service for learning sessions is rarely feasible.
Poor documentation and systems. During COVID, some teams had to “start again” due to missing MGPS information. Local experience filled the gap, but this highlights systemic risk.
It is difficult to say whether outsourcing has a positive or negative impact on collaboration and maintenance performance. There are strong examples in both directions.
Many contractors are genuine specialists. Their technical depth fills gaps that most Trusts cannot insource. Several AEs described contractors who were highly knowledgeable and added real value.
Others described contractors, especially in community and mental health settings, who did not understand the healthcare context or regulatory expectations. One AE recalled a contractor asking who AP was and, more concerningly, what “AP” meant at all.
Across the board, one theme was clear: performance improves when inhouse teams and contractors communicate openly and share information. Where this partnership works well, estates work becomes smoother and safer. Where it fails, frustration and risk increase.
David argues for simple, national collaboration tools: online meetings and a shared best-practice library accessible to every Trust. Alex would welcome a quarterly AP forum with structured write-ups so learning does not disappear.
Both point to a wider structural need. Several AEs proposed a national skills register for APs and CPs. This would record competence levels, training, and contact information so Trusts can quickly identify the right specialists and communicate directly with them. It would also support NHS England’s plan to train tens of thousands of new technical staff over the next decade.
The message is consistent: better visibility and easier communication would strengthen the whole system.
Technicians carry critical operational knowledge, yet the system makes it hard for them to share it. David and Alex show both the value of this expertise and the risks of leaving it siloed. Stronger collaboration, better documentation, and clear communication channels would help every Trust.
At CompliMind we work with Estates teams to make this expertise easier to access and apply. A clearer, more connected approach to knowledge would support Technicians, improve compliance, and make demanding roles more sustainable.
If your team is looking at how to strengthen learning and collaboration within technical roles, we would be keen to learn from your experience.
Want to dig into the details? Read the full thesis here.