NATIONAL WEALTH SERVICE
Fury over £6million hospital deals for private firms
Almost £6million of public money has been pledged to fund laundry services and security guards for the Louisa Jordan nightingale hospital.
The emergency site was built at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak amid fears the number of patients would overwhelm the NHS.
But it is yet to treat a Covid-19 sufferer.
Green Par ty MSP Patr ick Harvie said: “These bills show how private interests provide bad value for money in Scotland’s health service.”
The SNP Government has earmarked £6million of taxpayers’ money to laundry services and security guards for the NHS Louisa Jordan field hospital.
The eye- water ing sum includes a £2.4million contract for an England- based firm to provide clean bedding for the temporary facility, which has yet to treat a single Covid-19 patient.
A Sunday Mail investigation has revealed a breakdown of the astronomical bill for the makeshift site at Glasgow’s SEC campus – which includes a £ 3.5million deal with security giant G4S.
The Scottish Government has insisted the hospital is delivering “signi f icant ly expanded ” services including out-patient consultations, training and coronavirus vaccinations.
But opposition politicians have questioned the extent of private sector involvement and why it has never been used for its intended purpose.
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Mon ica Lennon said: “Huge sums hav e b e en spent building and running the Louisa Jordan and yet it hasn’t been used to treat any Covid-19 patients. “Only a tiny fraction of its potential has ever been utilised and serious questions need to be answered about whether the public is getting value for money.
“Meanwhile, thousands of people have contracted Covid-19 in hospital and coronavirus pat ients cont inue to be discharged to care homes.
“Handing a £ 2.4mi l l ion contract to a private company for laundry services will strike many as rank hypocrisy when you consider the SNP’s valid criticism of the Tories over creeping privatisation within the
NHS.
“It ’s yet another example of the Scottish
Government’s failure to meet the challenges of the pandemic or live up to its own rhetor ic .
We’ve one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in the world and our economy has contracted more than many of our European partners.” Scottish Greens co- leader Patrick Harvie said: “The whole point of the NHS Louisa Jordan is to support and provide additional capacity to NHS Scotland, not be a f inanc ia l bu rden because of outsourced contracts.
“These bills show how private interests provide bad value for money in Scotland’s health service. If the Scottish Government is going to protect our public NHS it needs to reduce the amount it outsources to profiteers.” By the time it is decommissioned, the NHS Louisa Jordan will have cost taxpayers £ 67million.
Birmingham-based Elis UK Ltd was awarded the laundry contract without going through a competitive tendering process. The Scottish Government said the “provision of laundry and linen services” has cost £92,988 so far.
A spokesman confirmed there had been no overnight patient stays at the Louisa Jordan.
In October, fears were raised that NHS laundry services could be axed across Scottish hospitals as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
It was proposed last year that Scotland’s 14 health boards should merge laundry services to save up to £2.7million a year.
Policy documents on the SNP website state “we will always keep Scotland’s NHS safe in public hands” and criticise the Conservative Party’s move towards privatisation.
The £3.5million contract to supply security at the Louisa Jordan was handed to G4S in March – again without competitive tendering.
The NHS Louisa Jordan has remained unused despite the number of patients who have
caught Covid-19 in hospital passi ng the 2000 mark, according to official statistics.
There were 172 new “definite” or “probable” hospital- onset cases in the week ending November 8, the most recent figures available.
That raised the total to 2133 since March, prompting fears more patients could die. Hospital-contracted infections are thought to have accounted for hundreds of deaths during the first wave and critics believe some could have been avoided if separate buildings were used for virus patients.
The initial construction costs of the hospital alone – which is housed within the existing SEC campus building – included payments of £ 4.7mi l lion to Balfour Beatty, £ 4.3million to Keir Construction, £ 6.9million to RMF Health Ltd and almost £ 1million to John Graham Construction Ltd.
Another £ 957,000 of public money went on “professional fees”, before a bill of more than £10million for equipment. This included £ 3.9million on beds, £1.1million on clinical and ward equipment, £ 1.1mi l l ion on patient monitoring devices and £ 877,000 on furniture. A bill for £ 1million was signed off for “digital costs”, while documents also show management costs of £2.4million a month.
Up unti l the end of July, invoices from 59 private firms had been paid for the hospital. It’s estimated the site will cost taxpayers more than £67million by the time it is shut down. Construction and deconstruction wi l l total £ 38mi l l ion, with £29million in running costs.
Further cash is likely to be paid out to the SEC – owned 90 per cent by Glasgow City Council – because a deal has been agreed for compensation for “loss of earnings”. Despite many events which could take place there being banned across the country, this could run into millions.
The field hospital was set up over fears coronavirus patients could overwhelm the health service – but none have been treated there.
MSP Donald Cameron, Scottish Conservatives shadow health secretary, said: “The SNP must be fully transparent about ongoing costs of the hospital and a lways ensu re the best possible value.”
A Scott ish Government spokesman said: “The NHS Louisa Jordan is playing a vital role in the remobilisation of our NHS.
“Since July, the hospital has seen over 12,000 patients who had their treatment delayed due to the pandemic and trained over 4500 NHS staff and students.
“That level of activity will incur costs. Due to the temporary nature of the hospital, it has been necessary to pay for security.”