TivloYou have been asked to quote for a GP surgery. Good-sized contract, steady work, the kind of client you want on your books. The facilities manager sends over a specification document. It references PAS 5748.
You have heard the term. You know it is to do with NHS cleaning. But the specification does not explain it; it assumes you know what it means and what it requires.
If you are running a commercial cleaning company and you want to work in healthcare: NHS premises, GP surgeries, clinics, care homes, or private hospitals. PAS 5748 is not optional knowledge. It defines the standard your service will be measured against.
What Is PAS 5748?
PAS 5748 is the Publicly Available Specification for Cleaning of Healthcare Premises. It was developed in collaboration with NHS England and Infection Prevention and Control specialists, and it replaces the older National Specifications for Cleanliness in the NHS (which dated from 2007).
It is not a legal requirement in the strict sense; it is a standard, not legislation. But any contractor cleaning NHS-funded premises will be expected to demonstrate alignment with it, and many private healthcare clients use it as the baseline for their cleaning specifications.
The standard covers:
- •How to assess and determine the risk-based cleaning frequency for different functional areas
- •How to carry out and document cleaning activities
- •How to conduct and score cleaning audits
- •How to categorise risk zones and apply appropriate standards to each
- •The principles of colour coding and contamination prevention
It was published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and is available as a paid document, but the key principles are widely referenced in NHS cleaning specifications.
The Risk Zone Framework
The core of PAS 5748 is a risk-based approach to cleaning. Not every area of a healthcare premises carries the same infection risk, and the cleaning regime should reflect that.
The standard defines risk zones and associated cleaning frequencies. In simplified terms:
High-risk areas: operating theatres, treatment rooms, isolation rooms, areas where invasive procedures occur. These areas require the most intensive cleaning, the highest cleaning frequencies, and strict product and method controls.
Significant risk areas: general wards, clinical areas where patient contact occurs regularly, sluice rooms, dirty utility areas. Regular, thorough cleaning using appropriate healthcare-grade products.
Low-risk areas: waiting rooms, public-facing corridors, offices, non-clinical areas. Standard commercial cleaning practices are generally acceptable, though consistency and frequency are still specified.
The facilities manager or infection prevention lead at the client premises typically designates the risk zones. Your role as the cleaning contractor is to ensure your service delivery matches the specification for each zone.
What PAS 5748 Means for Your Cleaning Practices
If you are used to standard commercial cleaning, healthcare contracts under PAS 5748 require some significant adjustments.
Colour coding. PAS 5748 mandates a strict colour coding system to prevent cross-contamination between different areas. The most commonly used system in UK healthcare is the BICSc colour coding standard:
- •Red: toilets, washrooms, urinals
- •Yellow: clinical areas (isolation/high risk)
- •Blue: general areas
- •Green: food preparation / catering areas
Every cloth, mop, bucket, and handle must be correctly colour coded. Operatives must be trained on the system, and the training must be documented. Bringing the wrong coloured equipment into a clinical area is not a minor error in a healthcare environment; it is a potential infection risk.
Wet and dry system management. Microfibre flat mop systems, disposable wipes, and steam cleaning methods are more commonly used in healthcare than traditional mops, because they reduce the risk of spreading organisms through contaminated water. Your method statement should reflect this.
Product selection. Healthcare cleaning products must be appropriate for the environment and compatible with infection prevention requirements. Products should not interact adversely with surfaces or create residues that interfere with clinical equipment. COSHH assessments for all products must be available on site.
Audit frequency and scoring. PAS 5748 includes a framework for cleaning audits: how to assess cleanliness, how to score findings, and how to document results. Healthcare clients expect regular audits, often monthly or more frequently in high-risk areas. Results must be recorded and available for inspection.
The Documentation Requirements
Beyond the cleaning itself, healthcare contracts require a level of documentation that exceeds most commercial cleaning specifications.
At a minimum, you will need:
- •Written cleaning schedules: who cleans what, at what frequency, to what standard, using which products and methods
- •Audit records: completed on the schedule specified in the contract, using an agreed scoring format
- •Training records: evidence that all operatives have received healthcare cleaning-specific training including colour coding, COSHH and infection prevention principles
- •COSHH assessments: current and available at the premises
- •Corrective action records: when audits identify shortfalls, what action was taken and when it was resolved
- •Incident records: any contamination events, chemical incidents, or procedural failures
Some NHS contracts additionally require operatives to have completed NHS-recognised training: the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in cleaning, or the BICSc Cleaning Operative Proficiency Award (COPA).
What Healthcare Clients Want to See at Tender Stage
When a healthcare client evaluates a cleaning contractor, they are looking for evidence that you understand the difference between commercial and healthcare cleaning, and that you have the systems to deliver and demonstrate compliance.
That means your tender should include:
- •Your proposed colour coding system and how it will be enforced and monitored
- •Your cleaning frequencies by risk zone
- •Your audit process and how often audits will occur
- •Examples of audit reports from comparable contracts if available
- •Your training programme for operatives working in healthcare environments
- •Your COSHH management process
A generic commercial cleaning method statement will not win a healthcare contract. The tender needs to reflect genuine understanding of the environment.
Is Healthcare Right for Your Business?
Healthcare cleaning is not the right market for every cleaning company. The compliance requirements are significant, the documentation load is real, and clients are demanding. Getting it wrong has more serious consequences than a commercial cleaning contract; both in terms of client impact and regulatory exposure.
But for cleaning businesses that can build the systems to support it, healthcare is one of the most stable and rewarding contract types available. NHS and healthcare clients do not switch contractors lightly. If your service and documentation are solid, you can hold those contracts for years.
If you want to understand where your business currently sits: your systems, your compliance readiness, your documentation. Our five-minute scorecard gives you an honest assessment.