Department of Health and Social Security: Review of Works Function: Registered Files...

BN 153

1983-1984

This series contains files relating to the Review of the Works Function of the NHS. The works function included all the building and infrastructure projects undertaken throughout the NHS estate. The files include meetings of the Steering Committee, meetings and visits of the Review Team, interim report and follow-up action.

RWF

Public Record(s)

English

8 file(s)

Open

in 2015 Department of Health

Topics

National Health Service

No further accruals are expected.

Files relating to the constitution of the Steering Committee and Review Team, responses to questionnaires and background material have not been selected.

The Review of the Works Function was carried out by a Review Team led by Mr N Illingworth (Assistant Secretary, DHSS), and a Steering Committee chaired by Dr N J B Evans (Deputy Secretary, DHSS). It was set up in 1983, to review the division of responsibility between the DHSS and Health Service authorities for managing the NHS estate and annual works expenditure, and to determine how those responsibilities could best be discharged. It focussed particularly on: ensuring maximum value for expenditure; optimising the use of resources in pursuit of effective and efficient services for patients; securing efficient and effective relationships between the authorities involved; recognition of the parliamentary and statutory responsibilities of the Secretary of State and the Accounting Officer. An interim report, submitted in 1984, concluded there was considerable scope for improving estate management and for recognising the estate as a resource in planning the delivery of patient care. Ministers subsequently commissioned further studies on various aspects of the report, with a view to formulating firm proposals for action.