Funding for £237m Alder Hey hospital approved
HEALTH Secretary Andrew Lansley was in Liverpool yesterday to unveil designs for the new £237m Alder Hey childrens’ hospital site in Liverpool after the government approved funding for the scheme.
The new hospital will be built in Springfield Park, next door to the current site. Once complete, the existing Alder Hey will be demolished and turned into a replacement park. The 600,000 sq ft building will have 270 beds for patients, including 48 critical care beds. Most of the beds within the hospital will be in self-contained, single rooms with en-suite bathroom facilities. A multi-storey car park containing 1,2000 spaces will also be built.
Alder Hey said that a significant proportion of the scheme will be funded by cash surpluses generated by Alder Hey and from the Trust’s charity. However, it will still have to borrow £0104m for the project, which will be funded via a private finance initiative (PFI) agreement.
The Acorn consortium consisting of John Laing, Laing O’Rourke and facilities management contractor Interserve was formally named as the winning bidder following approval for the scheme from the Department of Health and HM Treasury yesterday.
John Laing and Laing O’Rourke each hold 40% of the total investment equity in the project with Interserve holding 20%. Laing O’Rourke Construction will design and build the new hospital and Interserve will provide the hard facilities management services.
The project is expected to achieve financial close in winter 2012 and the official opening of the new hospital is planned for summer 2015.
