Naylor appointed as government estates tsar

As well as the advisory role, the chief executive of University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust will lead a programme focusing on NHS land and buildings in London, which covers 1,000 acres in the capital.

It comes after Labour peer Lord Carter predicted that £1bn could be saved by 2019-20 through more efficient use of estates in the acute sector.

His review of hospital efficiency recommended that trusts should plan to operate with a maximum of 35 per cent of non-clinical floor space and 2.5 per cent of unoccupied or underused space by April 2017, and deliver it by April 2020.

Sir Robert will continue in his role at UCLH and report to health minister Lord Prior, who suggested the work will also help the government meet its “housing ambitions”.

He said: “I am looking forward to supporting this national programme which will drive best practice in estate management and help deliver a first-rate 21^st century NHS estate.

“At UCLH we were able to continue the development of a world class University College Hospital campus in part thanks to funding secured from the sale of the old Middlesex Hospital site, which shows the clear benefits releasing surplus land can have for patients using the NHS.”

As reported last month, Sir Robert has deferred his departure from UCLH, after the trust failed to recruit a successor.

Lord Prior said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Sir Robert Naylor to this role – he has serious healthcare and property experience which will mean the NHS is better positioned to use its land and buildings more efficiently. Our aim is to secure a major contribution to the government’s housing ambitions and develop a modern, up-to-date health estate”

Nationally, the NHS owns land and buildings worth more than £40bn, with running costs, such as lighting and maintenance, of more than £8bn a year.