NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has announced it has changed the way it delivers hard facilities management services, which will see the Government-owned company take direct control of selected services.
Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England - encompassing 7,000 tenants - NHSPS has one of the largest portfolios in the UK, valued in excess of £3billion and representing approximately 10% of the total NHS estate.
The move to insource ‘hard FM’ services - those that relate to the maintenance of the physical materials of a building - follows a detailed review by NHSPS.
This has determined which services should be delivered directly by NHSPS instead of the current provider, Mitie.
These include plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water systems, fire safety systems, lighting, and building inspections.
By taking these elements of facilities management in house, we will have greater control over the standard and flexibility of service we provide our NHS customers
Other selected services, such as air conditioning, heating, and gas, will continue to be provided by Mitie or transferred to trusted partners.
The change came into effect on 1 April when approximately 140 Mitie employees affected by the decision transferred to NHSPS’s employment.
Martin Steele, chief executive of NHSPS, said: “This decision supports our business strategy to deliver improved value for the NHS and is part of a wider programme to rebalance our service delivery model.
“By taking these elements of facilities management in house, we will have greater control over the standard and flexibility of service we provide our NHS customers.
“Given the scale of this service nationally, we will also be able to achieve significant cost efficiencies, to be reinvested back into the NHS.”
