Man who helped Carillion win PFI hospital jobs sets up own firm

The man in charge of Carillion’s bids for the Royal Liverpool and Midland Metropolitan Hospitals has set up his own consultancy business.

The two jobs, worth a combined £700m, were one of a number that helped send the firm under in January.

A former project director of both hospitals, Austin Bell was the bid director on the two schemes (Liverpool, pictured) before switching to leading the firm’s bids for work on the HS2 railway.

Days after Carillion issued an £845m writedown last July, the firm won two schemes on the line between London and Birmingham with then joint venture partners Kier and French firm Eiffage worth £1.3bn.

According to documents filed at Companies House, Bell’s firm was set up last month and his LinkedIn page says the business works on “complex bids, joint ventures, PPP/PFI projects, business development and work winning strategies”.

Called Bell Project Consulting, the firm specialises in healthcare, education, infrastructure and regeneration projects.

The 48-year-old Bell joined Carillion back in 1993 as a project planner.