Health dept backs Papworth PFI

Papworth Hospital Foundation Trust has been given the go-ahead by the health department to appoint a preferred bidder on the scheme, but must now wait until the Treasury has also given its official approval before taking the project forward.

“After considerable delay to the project the trust was delighted to hear from the Department of Health in early October that the minister had cleared the business case to be forwarded to the Treasury for approval,” said chief executive Stephen Bridge.

“The trust looks forward to the Treasury signing off the case for Papworth to relocate to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.”

The trust shortlisted consortia led by Bouygues and Skanska for the project back in July 2011, but the scheme has been beset by difficulties – not least the review of PFI and the reorganisation of the NHS estate.

For more information on the contract, click here.