8 July 2016 | Jamie Harris

A rationalisation of facilities management contracts in the NHS has saved £15 million to date, NHS Property Services has announced.

The streamlined contracts, which reduced the number of outsourced deals from 2,300 to 249, and the number for suppliers from more than 1,000 to fewer than 20, have been put in place to ‘improve the provision of FM services’ across the NHS property portfolio.

Dennis Markey, chief operating officer at NHS Property Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our FM teams and marks a significant cost saving for the NHS.

“By reducing the number of contractors we employ and setting a standard service specification, this process is already driving efficiencies for the NHS, with £15 million already saved and an expected total saving of £22 million by year end, which will be reinvested back into patient care.”

More than 900 staff have been TUPE transferred into NHS Porperty Services.

Mitie secured the £100 million hard FM services contract in March, where it is to provide building fabric and maintenance services over the next three years.

Mitie secured 25 of the 31 lots. Other successful hard services bidders included Integral, recently acquired by commercial property services provider JLL for £226 million.

The soft FM contracts were awarded to a number of firms, including OCS, PHS Group, Mitie’s security and pest control divisions, and Ideal Cleaning Services.