§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the original estimate was of the cost of the new Halifax hospital; and what the latest estimate is of the total cost. [10663]
§ Jacqui SmithIn 1994, the board of the Calderdale Healthcare National Health Service Trust submitted an outline business case (OBC) to rationalise services from three hospital sites on to one. The costs in this OBC, £34.85 million, related to construction costs only for a combination of new build and refurbishment.
Further work led to a full business case (FBC) being developed in 1996. The scheme that was put forward was significantly enhanced from the OBC proposal. This included detailed internal design work, creating additional clinical space and more single areas with en-suite facilities. It also included the addition of new build mental health villas that were excluded from the original OBC. The cost of the FBC was £60.96 million.
716WThe original costs of £34.85 million did not include all the elements of the scheme; it covered only a distinctly different and small scheme. It therefore is not possible to make comparisons between the costs at OBC stage and at FBC stage.
The FBC included a three-level diagnostic ward block, new mental health villas, a refurbished children's and women's block, other refurbished buildings, and modern systems to support the new facilities.
The design strategy was further changed in 1998, as it became apparent that the layout would still not meet the need. These changes added a fourth level to the diagnostic ward block to house a new maternity block, and demolition of the existing women and children's block.
These changes resulted in a new build and refurbishment scheme totalling £76 million. When the costs of borrowing and insurance of the private sector partner, Catalyst, are included in the total cost, the figure is £103 million.