UK firm to study health PPPs

A firm based in the UK has been awarded a contract by an EU agency to examine the role of the private sector in the provision of health services.

Technopolis Group, a Brighton-based consultancy, has been awarded the €51,000 contract by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) to examine case studies of hospital PPPs in Europe.
 
As previously reported, the Dublin-based Eurofound sought companies or individuals to provide a report with up to 12 case studies on hospitals around Europe to examine the impact of private provision on the accessibility, quality and efficiency of hospital services. 
 
The contract is part of a research project looking at the impact of private provision on the accessibility, quality and efficiency of hospital services. The hospitals included can be newly built private hospitals, services contracted out to private providers, developing PPPs, the corporatisation of public hospitals and selling public hospitals to the private sector. 
 
Meanwhile, Carillion said it will invest £13m of equity in the Midland Metropolitan Hospital project, which it will build at a capital cost of £297m following the signing of the PF2 deal last week. 
 
The Hospital Company (Sandwell) Limited is a joint venture between Carillion (50%), Richardsons Capital (40%) and Infrastructure UK (10%). The new hospital in Birmingham will have around 683 beds and 13 operating theatre suites.