APPENDIX 7
Supplementary memorandum by North Cumbria
Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (PS 45A)
ADDITIONAL BRIEFING MATERIAL
Question
Was there an overall difference in the number
of planned beds between the PFI and PSC?
Answer
At the time of Full Business Case (FBC) the
number of beds in each equation was 474. To achieve further integration
and with new models of care, between FBC and commissioning bed
numbers were reduced to 444. This reduction in bed numbers would
have applied to either model of service provision.
Question
Why is the bed space lower than was provided
in the former hospital sites?
Answer
Bed space is only lower within the "5 bedded"
areas. The 5 bedded bays were always planned to accommodate this
number of beds. At no stage were these areas expected to accommodate
4 beds.
At financial close the contract was agreed on
1:200 scale floor plans and generic activity data base sheets.
This agreement was signed off by clinical leaders, however, as
was mentioned in the formal briefing sessions had more detailed
design plans/"modelling mock ups" been made available
the bed space may have been re-visited.
As was mentioned in the briefing sessions, to
manage patient care effectively and safely the Trust carried out
a number of clinical simulations including resuscitation techniques.
Consequently we were satisfied that there would be no compromise
to patient safety in the 5 bedded areas.
Question
How did the Trust evaluate the private sector
scheme against the public sector option?
Answer
The Trust rigidly followed the Treasury guidance
regarding the economic appraisal of the scheme. In the spring
of 1999 the Trust produced a document to explain and inform the
public/interested parties about the process and amounts involved.
A copy of this document is attached as Appendix 1.[2]
Question
If the scheme had been publicly funded what
would the cost of capital (capital charges) have been?
Answer
Based on a publicly funded scheme of £83.7
million the capital charge would have been:
6 per cent rate of return £5,022,000
Depreciation £3,069,000
(assumes 60 per cent cost = buildings, 40 per cent plant etc)
£8,091,000.
2 Not printed. Back
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