§ Mr. WilshireTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what costs were incurred by his Department in changing the preferred bidder for the proposed diagnostic treatment centre at Ashford hospital; [171112]
(2) what date it was decided to remove preferred bidder status from Mercury Healthcare for the provision of a diagnostic treatment centre at Ashford (Middlesex) hospital; and on what date this decision was communicated to the company. [171113]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department made a payment of approximately £1.1 million to Mercury Healthcare as a contribution towards their bid costs when they were deselected as the preferred bidder for the provision of the independent sector treatment centre 'spine' chain. Capio UK was subsequently appointed as preferred bidder for the chain. This switch has enabled the Department to secure a multi-million pound saving in the price of the contact. This significant saving is shared across the entire chain, including the proposed treatment centre at the Ashford hospital.
The decision to remove the preferred bidder status from Mercury Healthcare was formally endorsed by the chain's board of national health service sponsors at its meeting on 27 January 2004. Following a period of negotiation with Mercury Healthcare, the national implementation team formally communicated this decision on 17 February 2004.