Huge PFI hospital for Derby

The new hospital will be built alongside Derby City General

A new £333m hospital has been approved for Derbyshire after a deal was struck for one of the largest private finance initiative (PFI) contracts in the UK.

Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has signed a contract with the Skanska Innisfree consortium for the hospital in Derby.

The hospital, which will be built and maintained by the private partners, will have 1,159 acute beds and 35 operating theatres.

The new hospital will be located on the existing Derby City General Hospital site, and around 25% of the development will incorporate existing buildings.

Quick deal

The additional facilities will contribute enormously towards increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for operations and other procedures, a trust spokeswoman said.

Brian Ibell, project director, said: "It is the quickest NHS PFI deal agreed so far, having taken only 12 months from the final bidder stage to actually signing the contracts."

We will be getting a state-of-the-art hospital where we will be able to provide all of our services on one site Julie Acred NHS Trust chief executive

Plans for the new hospital involve transferring most of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary's services to the new site and constructing a new medical school.

The overall contract covers the provision of a comprehensive range of non-clinical services throughout a 40-year period, including services such as portering, catering, cleaning, laundry and linen, as well as maintaining the building.

The contract also includes the cost of utilities such as gas, water and electricity.

Julie Acred, the trust's chief executive, said: "Ultimately, we will be getting a state-of-the-art hospital where we will be able to provide all of our services on one site, which will make life infinitely easier and better for patients, staff and visitors alike."

Work on the project begins later this month and will take five years to complete.