NHS hospitals crippled by PFI scheme

[Vague_Boy]

The legacy of Crash Gordon and his ruinous policies continues:

 

NHS hospitals crippled by PFI scheme

 

Patient care is under threat at more than 60 NHS hospitals which are “on the brink of financial collapse” because of costly private finance initiative schemes, the Health Secretary will warn.

 

Andrew Lansley says he has been contacted by 22 health service trusts which claim their “clinical and financial stability” is being undermined by the costs of the contracts, which the Labour government used extensively to fund public sector projects.

 

Under the PFI deals, a private contractor builds a hospital or school. It owns the building for up to 35 years, and during this period the public sector must pay interest and repay the cost of construction, as well as paying the contractor to maintain the building.

 

However, the total cost of the deals is often far more than the value of the assets. As a result, Mr Lansley says, the 22 trusts “cannot afford” to pay for their schemes, which in total are worth more than £5.4 billion, because the required payments have risen sharply in the wake of the recession.

 

Mr Lansley told The Daily Telegraph: “Over the last year, we’ve been working to expose the mess Labour left us with, and the truth is that some hospitals have been landed with PFI deals they simply cannot afford.

 

“Like the economy, Labour has brought some parts of the NHS to the brink of financial collapse. Tough solutions may be needed for these problems, but we’ll help the NHS overcome them. We will not make the sick pay for Labour’s debt crisis.”

LINK

 

Those of you who read Private Eye will be well aware of the PFI scandal.

 

Those of you who get your "news" from TV Choice and Hello will be flippin' clueless.

 

I presume Ed Milliband can count on your vote?

[chem1st]

Chop you leg off, full rate DLA for loss of leg.

 

If not, full rate for mental problems.

 

Job done...

 

Mobility scooter with 8 tinnies in basket, 'RIP OFF CAR INSURANCE' numberplate and dukes of hazzard style horn. Der der der der der derr derr der der der. BRAP BRAP.

[HeadingNorth]

It was obvious the PFI scheme was a disaster in the making when the Tories first introduced it. It was still obvious when New Labour signed such a huge number of contracts under it.

 

 

The only surprising thing about this story is that it surprised anybody.

[Mecky]

A quote from The Sweeny the other night, "There's an old Tory saying, "Let's cut something.""

 

It's the same old Tory ploy - Let's make something not work and then sell it off. Quite why anyone would want to buying something that is broken is beyond me.

[JFKvsNixon]

A quote from The Sweeny the other night, "There's an old Tory saying, "Let's cut something.""

 

It's the same old Tory ploy - Let's make something not work and then sell it off. Quite why anyone would want to buying something that is broken is beyond me.

 

I guess you prefer the Labour way, paying £70 billion for building projects that were valued at £11.4 billion. Absolute madness.

 

It means once the last scheme is paid off - in 2049 - more than £70bn will have been handed over.

 

That figure also includes, in some cases, fees for services such as building maintenance, cleaning, catering and portering.

 

But even taking those services into account the sum far exceeds the value of the building projects, which stands at a combined £11.4bn.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15010279

[Mecky]

I guess you prefer the Labour way, paying £70 billion for building projects that were valued at £11.4 billion. Absolute madness.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15010279

 

Yes I would and the country is about to see why

 

"PFI is a way of funding building projects using private money. It was originally introduced by the Tories under John Major, but the use of the scheme was largely expanded into the NHS by Labour."

 

Says it all. It is a Tory plan to make the NHS unworkable so they can justify selling it off.

[truman]

Yes I would and the country is about to see why

 

"PFI is a way of funding building projects using private money. It was originally introduced by the Tories under John Major, but the use of the scheme was largely expanded into the NHS by Labour."

 

Says it all. It is a Tory plan to make the NHS unworkable so they can justify selling it off.

 

It's a good job Labour kicked it into the long grass then isn't it?

[Stoatwobbler]

I guess you prefer the Labour way, paying £70 billion for building projects that were valued at £11.4 billion. Absolute madness.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15010279

 

It started off as a Tory policy in the Major years, so they share some of the blame. However it was expanded a lot by Labour.

 

A good book to read on the subject is George Monbiot's "Captive State".

[grafikhaus74]

So I suppose a mere £12 Bn that is now being written off with the scrapping of the NHS computer is just small change?

 

This was warned of as long ago as 2004, but they still went ahead.

 

That guy who lost £1.3 Bn for UBS last week will certainly face jail. So who put their name to this?

 

I think we should be told.

[mossdog]

So I suppose a mere £12 Bn that is now being written off with the scrapping of the NHS computer is just small change?

 

This was warned of as long ago as 2004, but they still went ahead.

 

That guy who lost £1.3 Bn for UBS last week will certainly face jail. So who put their name to this?

 

I think we should be told.

Some public sector employees have lost hundreds of £billions on daft schemes and never been imprisoned...........it's high time they were!