Aileen Campbell, SNP MSP for South of Scotland has hit out at figures released this week showing that over the next five years NHS Lanarkshire faces a £245million PPP/PFI bill for Stonehouse, Wishaw and Hairmyres hospitals, part of a five year £1billion Scottish burden left by the Labour/Liberal Scottish Executive. 

The figures, from the UK Treasury show that the contracts will end up costing NHS Lanarkshire a total of £1.5 billion, part of a £7 billion burden faced by the NHS across Scotland.

Between 2010-11 and 2014-15 NHS Lanarkshire will pay £245 million in unitary charges despite the capital value of the buildings being just £192million.   For Stonehouse Hospital, which has a value of £3.82m NHS Lanarkshire will pay £16.25million over the 25 year contract.  Wishaw General will cost £808million for a building worth £121million, while Hairmyres will cost £660million over the 30 year contract for a hospital which has a capital value of just £68million. 

Aileen Campbell said the PPP/PFI contracts for the three hospitals, due to cost NHS Lanarkshire a total of £1.5 billion, are strangling the NHS Lanarkshire budget at a time of severe financial difficulty: 

"NHS Lanarkshire is facing a £245million bill over the next five years for three hospitals worth £192 million. That is the legacy Labour and the Lib Dems left Lanarkshire after their 8 years in power. NHS Lanarkshire will have to pay over £1.5 billion in PFI/PPP charges, nearly 10 times the value of the hospitals built.  

“These statistics just highlight the economic incompetence of Labour and the Lib Dems who are happy to see the public pay this ridiculous premium for capital projects.   

“It is ridiculous that Stonehouse Hospital will cost NHS Lanarkshire over four times what the building is actually worth, and it puts into perspective the crocodile tears from Labour politicians demanding extra money for new developments in the area. 

"This is a devastating hit to the budget of NHS Lanarkshire particularly at a time when budgets will be under increasing pressure as a result of Labour's economic mismanagement in London.”