NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has delivered £45.9m in cost efficiencies for the health service during 2022/23, a 4% increase on the previous year’s performance.
The organisation's annual report demonstrates that the business, which owns and manages around 10% of the NHS estate, exceeded its initial financial target of £32.5m by over £12m. It has now delivered a cumulative total of over £295m in savings to the NHS since 2017.
The business also increased its investment in the estate this year, with total capital investments of £150m, compared to £135m in 2022/23, delivering improvements to the NHS property portfolio for customers and patients, ensuring that its buildings are consistently fit for purpose.
This figure reflects and includes the continued successful disposal of surplus NHS Property Services Limited sites, which are those no longer required by the NHS to deliver commissioned or clinical services - generating £50m of recycled capital investment in its portfolio.
NHSPS completed a further 94 transformational new or improved building projects this year as part of its Healthy Places programme
Another significant achievement described in the report was the publication of NHSPS’ first Climate Related Financial Disclosure Report ahead of the Government’s 2024 deadline. It identifies key environmental risks that could impact the NHSPS portfolio, and outlines steps being taken to build resilience by integrating climate adaptation into its overall business strategy. Linked to this, the report also highlights how, since the launch of the NHSPS Green Plan in 2021/22, the business has reduced its carbon footprint by 18%, avoiding significant energy price rises for its customers as a result.
The report also describes how NHSPS completed a further 94 transformational new or improved building projects this year as part of its Healthy Places programme, including the £11m sustainable Devizes Health Centre in Wiltshire for Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICS (Integrated Care System), one of the first net-zero buildings in NHS history. With new sites identified for next year, the programme will extend to over 500 national projects (either completed or in progress), helping a total of 1.3m patients across the country.
And through its Social Prescribing programme the report describes how NHSPS has transformed a further 25 vacant or underused indoor and outdoor spaces this year to improve community wellbeing, tackle health inequalities and help reduce pressure on primary care.
Since the launch of the NHSPS Green Plan in 2021/22, the business has reduced its carbon footprint by 18%
Martin Steele, CEO at NHSPS, said: “As we mark NHSPS’ tenth year of operating, this year’s annual report outlines the significant progress we have made. It evidences how we are realising our ambition to be the estate delivery partner of choice for ICBs (integrated care boards) nationwide, helping our NHS partners develop and deliver their estate strategies and supporting them with the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 recovery and the NHS Long Term Plan transformation. These achievements are a testament to the collective work of our colleagues, customers and stakeholders in leveraging resources and maximising impact, and I am grateful to them for their invaluable feedback and collaboration which have helped shape our organisation's direction and success.”
Mark Smith, Chief Financial Officer for NHSPS, added: “I am delighted with the results we have delivered this year, which represent continued progress and consistent, ongoing achievements by teams across the business. We are committed to continue driving innovation and efficiency across our operations and to deliver even greater value to the NHS. As we embark on another transformative year, I’m confident that NHSPS will continue to seize the opportunities to support the NHS’s evolving needs, improve NHS colleague and patient environments and deliver sustainable, quality services.”