Looking togoodhealth

Aug 5 2008 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

NORTH-east law firm Dickinson Dees LLP has brokered a £40m Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal that will see a new community hospital and health centre for Redcar and Cleveland.

The centre will amalgamate existing GP and hospital healthcare in state-of-the-art facilities for the borough’s 140,000 residents.

Dickinson Dees’ eight-strong team working on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trust, was led by partner and NHS PFI expert, Tim Care and involved experts from the firm’s planning, property, construction and projects teams.

Tim was previously involved in groundbreaking procurement work in the NHS.

The Tees deal was one of the first in the UK which had to provide an Approval Business Case (ABC) at preferred bidder stage - adding an extra element to the procurement process.

Dickinson Dees was appointed at an early stage of the procurement process, which enabled the team to advise the Trust on its Outline Business Case (OBC) and the procurement documentation.

The centre will be built over the next 18 months by a consortium involving Sir Robert McAlpine and Ryhurst Limited.

“Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trust’s PFI scheme will provide modern and practical healthcare services in the region,” said Tim Care. “Our early appointment to the scheme has meant that the Trust has been able to work in partnership with us to ensure procurement best practice from start to finish.”

“Dickinson Dees has a national reputation for excellence in PFI schemes and the breadth of expertise to be able to deal with all the issues that arose during the project” said Mark Adams, Redcar and Cleveland PCT. “The team has been able to provide expert and in-depth advice at every step of the process, including recommendations for the ABC.

“Our close working relationship has ensured a smooth and efficient procurement process in which all stakeholders feel confident that their key issues have been addressed.”