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Source · National Audit Office

Investigation into NHS Property Services Limited

In response to questions raised by the House of Commons Health Committee in late 2013 and wider Parliamentary interest, we conducted an investigation into five specific concerns about NHS Property Services. Our investigation established the facts relating to these concerns. May 2014

Published: 1 May 2014 Recommendations: 8 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 8 Department: Department of Health and Social Care
Dept: Department of Health and Social Care Topics: Health and social care nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

8 items
6 accepted 2 partially accepted 8 implemented

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Department of Health and Social Care · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point a

The Department, in collaboration with national bodies and the Service should:
a) develop a plan to ensure that the Service and all tenants of the Service’s premises will agree tenancy details and amounts by 31 March 2020; and

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Department of Health and Social Care · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point b

b) put in place an efficient dispute resolution process whereby all disputes are settled within 90 days of invoicing and agree a plan to clear outstanding disputes including a service-level agreement for responding to queries from tenants in a reasonable time so that there is agreement on the nature and value of the disputed amount before entering the arbitration process.

Response position: Partially accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2021 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Department of Health and Social Care · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point c

The Department and national bodies should:
c) examine ways to encourage occupiers and local health economies to take greater ownership of paying for the Service’s estate.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Department of Health and Social Care · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point d

The Department should:
d) provide stronger challenge to the Service’s process for setting directors’ bonuses, so that bonuses are paid for achieving genuinely stretching and important targets; and

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Department of Health and Social Care · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point e

e) complete the strategic review of the Service in time to inform decision-making in the expected 2019 Spending Review.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 09/2020 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 6

Addressee: NHS Property Services · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point f

The Service should:
f) build on its existing quality metrics, with input from stakeholders, so that its performance can be monitored, including the accuracy of billing;

Response position: Partially accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2021 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 7

Addressee: NHS Property Services · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point g

g) continue to reduce the time it takes to issue bills; and

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2021 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 8

Addressee: NHS Property Services · Source location: Page 13, paragraph 17, point h

h) review its capacity to deal with queries in an effective and timely manner.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · 04/2021 · Confirmed by NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.