Department of Health and Social Care rejects merger of Community Health Partnerships and NHS Property Services

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has rejected the proposed merger between NHS Property Services (NHSPS) and Community Health Partnerships (CHP), which was one of the recommendations of Sir Robert Naylor’s review of NHS property and estates. The NHS Property Board will not be at ‘arm’s length’ from the Department of Health as the review recommends, but instead will be established as part of a “national centre provid[ing] the oversight and sets strategic direction to the system”. The Property Board will be chaired by health minister Lord O’Shaughnessy.

The proposed matching of proceeds from NHS trust land sales with Treasury money was also reject. The DHSC has said that over the coming months it would set out how £3.5bn will be spent, in addition to capital funding by 2022-23. This would include a £2.6bn to “support local plans to transform estates and modernise facilities as part of STPs”, and £700million to “help NHS estates which need urgent maintenance on upgrades”. The full government response to the review can be found here.

Last updated : 23 Feb 2018

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