Government creates NHS Property Services

Open-access content Wednesday 25th January 2012 — updated 1.53pm, Tuesday 5th May 2020

26 January 2012

The Department of Health has created NHS Property Services to take ownership of and manage part of the primary care trust estate.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley made the formal announcement in a written ministerial statement, ending speculation about what the business would be called.

Much of the primary care estate will move over to the new business.

"The company will take ownership of and manage that part of the existing primary care trust estate that will not transfer to National Health Service community care providers under the plans for healthcare reform set out in the Health and Social Care Bill," the statement said.

Final details of the operation of NHS Property Services "will be finalised in the coming months".

Its objectives will be to "hold property for use by community and primary care services, including for use by social enterprises".

It will also ensure that services delivered to the property are deemed "value-for-money". To this end, it will "cut costs of administering the estate by consolidating the management of over 150 estates".

NHS Property Services will also dispose of surplus property.

"Properties to be transferred to NHS Property Services will include some operational estate, estate with multiple occupiers, office and admin estate, estate to be occupied by social enterprises and surplus estate," said the statement.

Existing contracts for estate services will be honoured and remain in place, Lansley said.