Board of CHCs - Peter Johns (Director)

Call for Evidence

Comment for the Finance Committee concerning Public Private Partnership Schemes from the Board of Community Health Councils in Wales

Thank you for the opportunity to comment to the Committee on this matter. There is only two observations that we feel it is necessary to raise, and they are consequent to the agreement of a PPP scheme in the NHS.

Our observation has been that if a new building is provided for the NHS under such a scheme there may well be written into the agreement a facility management contract which gives the Private Partner the right to provide such services. In that case, the control of cleaning and maintenance of the building, (particularly if it is a hospital or other building where cleanliness and infection control are at a premium), is not in the hands of the NHS and may well cause difficulties in controlling infections etc.

The other observation is that the two partners may well have differing objectives. The NHS would wish to see a building that optimally suits the need of patients and the service. The Private Partner would wish to minimise costs in providing the agreed building which may allow short-cuts if the specification is weak. (eg problems with the width of doorways at Chepstow Hospital and the language of the lift announcements at Abertillery Resource Centre)

Peter Johns
Director
Board of Community Health Councils in Wales
22 October 2007