Channel 4 documentary questions PFI

A TV documentary to be shown tonight will question the use of the PFI to build new schools and hospitals. The programme, to be shown tonight and called Disptaches: Public Service, Private Profit, claims to have spoken to key officials who reveal concerns over 'hidden costs' and 'sweated contracts' within the PFI. This includes worries voiced from the government's auditor general Sir John Bourn.

The programme also speaks to Tony Harrison, a research fellow at the King's Fund, who claims parts of some hospitals "will become white elephants because it's very difficult to redeploy hospital activity and do other things". He claims that the inflexibility of PFI will clash with policy changes, with some hospitals being left with too many wards as the government moves to treating people at primary-care level in communities.

The film claims that PFI leads to huge mark-ups for basic maintenance. "Changing a light switch in one flagship PFI hospital costs hundreds of pounds," the Dispatches website says.

It also speaks to a head teacher who is struggling to get a PFI company to honour its contract. "PFI has made students depressed at times - when they've seen the lack of interest in the building and poor quality of work," the headteacher says. "Staff have resigned over it. PFI is threatening this school."