Part 4: EFM Managers
EFM Managers, including Senior Engineers, Managers and APs, are the operational backbone of the NHS estate. They keep critical systems safe every day. Ventilation. Water. Medical gases. Electrical infrastructure. Increasingly, these managers also hold Authorised Person responsibilities across several areas. In my research, I have spoken with APs covering up to nine disciplines while being trained in only one.
The pressure is growing. Staff shortages, expanding responsibilities and rising expectations mean managers now carry workloads that once sat across whole teams. Against this backdrop, three distinct personas stand out in my research. Ian Independent. Laura Linker. Steve Contractor. They work in very different environments yet face similar systemic challenges.
Ian Independent. NHS internal. Technically strong. Pragmatic. Draws on experience and informal networks.
Steve Contractor. External contractor. Process driven. Structured. Focused on documentation and formal compliance.
Manager roles demands technical expertise, information management and a commitment to professional development. These strengths show up differently across the three personas.
Ian Independent combines mechanical engineering experience with a practical, problem solving mindset. He uses HTMs, internet research and turns to AEs for assurance. Ian also highlights incorrect information online and the need to “assume nothing, believe nobody, confirm everything.” (ABC) He worries about taking on too much. One of Ian’s peers put it plainly: “Be cautious not to take on too many responsibilities to maintain focus."
Laura Linker brings vocational engineering training, military experience and a university degree in FM. She uses HTMs for technical queries but also draws heavily on journals, conferences and professional body meetings. Laura connects with other APs on courses and networks with manufacturers. Her advice shows her focus on people: “Build strong relationships with clinical staff to understand and support their needs.”
Steve Contractor operates within a contractor-led environment. He relies on HTMs, manufacturer advice and structured documentation. He attends AP courses and works closely with other site managers in his firm. His advice is clear: “Put everything in writing for commercial aspects and follow a structured methodology.” He emphasises resilience, record keeping and contract obligations.
All three experience the same major barriers. Workload. Staff shortages. Outdated IT. Conflicting priorities. Many described rising pressure on AP roles. All three voiced the same concerns.
“Managers are left holding responsibility for systems they were never properly trained to run.”
Ian and Laura highlighted gaps in staffing. They often cover multiple AP roles. Steve talked about fragmentation between Trust, PFI stakeholders and contractors:
Across the Delphi data, these concerns were widespread.“Trust stakeholders don’t attend meetings. We are piggy in the middle between Trust and PFI Project Co.”
The shortage of APs is one of the most serious risks facing the NHS estate. Recruitment is difficult. Potential candidates often decline the role because of the responsibility and legal exposure. One AE described it:
“People are being pushed into it. They don’t want to take those AP roles.”
Qualification levels have declined as experienced staff retire. As one AE said,
“When I first started, everybody had at least an HNC. Now it would be less than half.”
The pandemic exposed how fragile this structure can be.
One HoE said they “suddenly had to learn everything” about oxygen systems from scratch.In one Trust, the experience gap became critical. A Head of Estates explained that guidance during the oxygen surge would have led to system collapse.
"We were discussing CPAP and putting 900 patients on 15 l/min of oxygen, [. . . ] pushing the system way beyond its design capability. The first person they turned to was the AP [...] If we’d followed the AP’s advice, we would have run out of oxygen, causing the system to collapse.”
Isolation between Trusts made things harder. As one AP put it,
“At no point in time did even I think they must be having the same problem over the road.”
People were focused entirely on keeping their own hospital safe.
These pressures compound the risk. The NHS is losing experienced APs. New managers are stepping into roles without the depth of training they need. And the workload leaves little space for structured learning or reflection.
Managers are the pressure valve between operational safety and strategic decision making. They understand the estate in detail. They are the ones who turn national guidance into local action. Without clear support and a plan for succession, the NHS risks losing essential expertise. It also risks losing institutional knowledge about system capacity, failure points and safe operating limits.
The lack of cross site collaboration means many teams solve identical issues in isolation. Valuable lessons are repeated instead of shared.
Strengthening knowledge sharing at manager level is essential for resilient, safe estates.
At CompliMind we are not building AI to replace APs. High risk engineering systems will always rely on human judgement and oversight. Our focus is to equip the engineers and managers the NHS relies on with the information they need at the point of decision.
Many managers take on responsibilities for disciplines they were never formally trained in. They need clarity. They need authoritative sources. They need time back in their day.
Our tools reduce the administrative burden so APs and managers can spend more time on proactive planning rather than reactive firefighting.
Our usage data mirrors the reality. Managers are among the most active users on our platform. They ask the broadest range of questions. Electrical. Water. Ventilation. Medical gases. Often all within the same session.
They are also the ones maintaining SOPs, policies and technical documentation in their areas. They are the ones chairing safety groups and then drafting minutes after three hour meetings.
Our mission is simple: Building compliance made simple. Make compliance and collaboration easier for the people who keep the estate running. And give them the confidence to make well informed decisions in line with national standards and local context.
Want to dig into the details? Read the full thesis here.