Plans for six new PFI hosiptals announced

The government is to announce the development of six new PFI hospitals worth £1.5bn today. A story in today's Times newspaper said the hospitals would be built for University Hospitals North Staffordshire, Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust, Salford Royal Hospitals, Walsall Hospitals, South Devon Healthcare and University Hospitals Leicester. The first of the new hospitals is due to be open in 2010.

The move comes despite of the PFI procurment method in a TV documentary Dispatches on Monday and recent financial difficulties experienced by many NHS trusts in England.

Health ministed Andy Burnham said: "We are delighted to be able to give the go-ahead for these new hospitals, This is great news for the hundreds of thousands of patients who will benefit from the modern, bright new buildings."