NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has confirmed changes to how it delivers ‘hard FM’ services, which will see it take direct control of some services from the incumbent provider, Mitie.
The services to be brought in-house (from April 1), include plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water systems, fire safety systems, lighting and building inspections. NHSPS says that other selected services, such as air conditioning, heating and gas will continue to be provided by Mitie or other, trusted partners. Approximately 140 Mitie employees have been transferred to NHS PS.
NHSPS is responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England with 7,000 tenants. It has one of the largest property portfolios in the UK, valued in excess of £3bn and representing approximately 10% of the total NHS estate.
Mitie was awarded the contract for a significant volume of the hard FM contracts for the NHSPS estate in 2016 through a formal tender process following a major programme of rationalisation, which saw the number of suppliers dramatically reduced. The initiative aimed to save the NHS millions of pounds each year.
Commenting on this decision to bring the services in-house, Martin Steele, Chief Executive Officer of NHSPS, says: “This decision supports are 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 re-invested back into the NHS.”
