Hexham Hospital is 1st Hospital in UK bought out of a PFI and back into public ownership

Raised the good news in the House this week:

Guy Opperman (Hexham, Conservative)

Hexham hospital is outstanding but was built under a very expensive Tony Blair PFI. Does the Minister welcome the fact that Northumbria NHS trust is the first in the country to buy out the PFI and put it into public ownership, thereby putting millions more into front-line care?

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 21 October 2014, c747)

 

Daniel Poulter (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health; Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Conservative)

My hon. Friend makes an important point. The PFI schemes negotiated by the previous Government were, quite frankly, disastrous for many hospitals. His hospital has seen that the way forward is to buy out the PFI and free up more money for front-line patient care. We will support as many more hospitals in doing that as can be achieved, because this is about making sure that we deliver more money for NHS patients.

Full story here:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/north-east-analysis/analysis-news/hexham-hospital-changes-hands-private-7975734