NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has begun to insource facility management services to reduce costs and improve customer experiences.

The move, which will see the government-owned company take direct control of selected services, comes after a detailed review by NHSPS. The review determined which services should be delivered directly by NHSPS instead of current provider Mitie. These include plumbing, electrical, mechanical, water systems, fire safety systems, lighting and building inspections.

Other selected services such as air conditioning, heating, and gas will continue to be provided by Mitie or transferred to trusted partners.

140 Mitie employees affected by the decision will transfer to NHSPS’s employment.

Responsible for the management and maintenance of 3,500 properties across England, encompassing 7,000 tenants, NHSPS has one of the largest portfolios in the UK.

NHSPS chief executive Martin Steele said: “This decision supports our business strategy to deliver improved value for the NHS and is part of a wider programme to rebalance our service delivery model. By taking these elements of facilities management in-house, we will have greater control over the standard and flexibility of service we provide our NHS customers. Given the scale of this service nationally, we will also be able to achieve significant cost efficiencies, to be reinvested back into the NHS.”