NHS Property Services

NHS Property Services Limited is a company owned by the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom that took over the ownership of around 3,600 National Health Service (NHS) facilities in April 2013.

Creation and purpose
Following the Health and Social Care Act 2012, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts in England were abolished and replaced with GP led commissioning consortia in April 2013. All properties which were not passed to the commissioning groups were transferred to NHS Property Services. The company now manages, maintains and develops the 3,500 NHS properties across England.

“Hard” facilities management services, such as plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water and fire safety systems, and lighting were provided by outsourcing giant Mitie from 2016 until April 2020 when they were taken in-house. About 140 Mitie employees were transferred to NHS Property Services. Mitie continues to provide some other services — such as air conditioning, heating and gas. Other services are provided by Chubb Locks, Premier Technical Services Group Limited, and Dale.

BMA legal case
In 2020 a legal case was brought by the British Medical Association which argued the fees it demanded were unlawful. The dispute over rent and service charges incurred by GPs who occupy PropCo-owned property affects more than 800 GP practices. The full trial for the BMA’s case and NHS Property Services’s counterclaim is scheduled for March 2022.

Commercial information
In 2021 it was reported that it had agreed tenancy details with 97% of the providers who used its buildings and that the organisations debts had been reduced from more than £700 million in 2019 to less than £500 million. Martin Steele, the chief executive, said a court judgment on the charging mechanisms would be “good news because at least everyone will be clear on the position”.

In 2022 the company had transformed 69 vacant or under-utilised spaces in its properties for use by community groups or provision of non-clinical services as part of its national social prescribing programme.