Conclusion 10

NHS Property Services stated that it is working with the national bodies—the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement—to agree a joint plan to get rental agreements in place for all its tenants. It told us that key elements to the action plan include: getting the national bodies to pre-endorse a suite of occupancy documents for tenants to sign; improving the data that they hold and making sure that tenants inform them of any changes to the space they use; and introducing a “no lease, no occupancy” policy going 8 Qq 95, 127 9 Qq 127–129; C&AG’s Report, para 3.3 10 Qq 2, 5–6, 55 11 Qq 1–2, 6–7, 17; C&AG’s Report, Figure 7 12 Qq 3, 6 13 Qq 2, 95 14 Qq 7, 66; C&AG’s Report, para 2.5 15 Qq 6–7, 10, 18, 53, 98 10 NHS Property Services forwards.16 However neither the Department or NHS Property Services could provide us with a clear timetable for all tenants to have signed rental agreements in place. NHS Property Services told us that it aims to have deemed rental agreement in place for 90% of its tenants by April 2020, where the rental area and rent are agreed with tenants but without a signed document.17 Outstanding debt owed by tenants