Sodexo wins facilities management contract for Covid-19 test lab in Leamington Spa

Sodexo has won a contract to provide facilities management services at a new Covid-19 laboratory in Leamington Spa, including a contactless "micro market".

The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory in Royal Leamington Spa, which is owned and run by the Department of Health and Social Care, is part of the NHS Test and Trace network, which will increase Covid-19 testing capacity by hundreds of thousands a day in the coming months.

The facilities management contract will employ 90 people from the local area to provide services including communal area cleaning, security, grounds maintenance, waste management, logistics, maintenance and 24/7 catering services.

The catering services will include a contactless "micro market", where staff can buy a range of drinks, snacks, sandwiches, salads and hot meals using self-service tills at any time of day.

"I am extremely proud that we continue to play our part in the fight against this pandemic, supporting NHS Test and Trace, to increase the UK's Covid-19 testing capacity," said Stuart Winters, chief executive of healthcare for Sodexo UK & Ireland.

"We know that working in close partnership with our client, being agile and responsive to their needs, is absolutely vital and I am delighted that we have been recognised for our ability to do this for NHS Test and Trace."