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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Midland Metropolitan Hospital PFI plans approved | Midland Metropolitan Hospital PFI plans approved |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A £353m hospital is to be built in the West Midlands. | A £353m hospital is to be built in the West Midlands. |
| The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced approval for the 670-bed Midland Metropolitan Hospital to be built on land in Smethwick. | The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced approval for the 670-bed Midland Metropolitan Hospital to be built on land in Smethwick. |
| The building will be funded by both the public and private sector through a private finance deal, he said. | The building will be funded by both the public and private sector through a private finance deal, he said. |
| It will replace large parts of Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital in Winson Green, although some services will remain, NHS managers have said. | It will replace large parts of Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital in Winson Green, although some services will remain, NHS managers have said. |
| Mr Osborne said: "This ambitious package will ensure that patients across the West Midlands continue to benefit from access to world-class acute treatment and cutting edge facilities." | Mr Osborne said: "This ambitious package will ensure that patients across the West Midlands continue to benefit from access to world-class acute treatment and cutting edge facilities." |
| Construction work on the hospital is expected to begin on a site at Grove Lane in Smethwick in 2016 and finish in 2019. | Construction work on the hospital is expected to begin on a site at Grove Lane in Smethwick in 2016 and finish in 2019. |
| Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said it had begun the process of looking for a construction partner to build it as part of the governments revised private finance initiative (PFI) scheme. | Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said it had begun the process of looking for a construction partner to build it as part of the governments revised private finance initiative (PFI) scheme. |
| Under PFI 2 guidelines the taxpayer takes a share of up to 49% in new projects with the rest coming from private investors. | Under PFI 2 guidelines the taxpayer takes a share of up to 49% in new projects with the rest coming from private investors. |
| The Trust said £100m of public money would be used to build the new hospital. | |
| Trust chief executive Toby Lewis said: "Our commitment... is to develop more community-based services at our sites in Rowley Regis, at Leasowes and on Dudley Road, and to refurbish Sandwell Hospital to ensure high quality outpatient and intermediate care in West Bromwich." | |
| He said the £35m Birmingham Treatment Centre built in 2005 on the City Hospital site would also stay, but accident and emergency departments at both City and Sandwell hospitals would close. | He said the £35m Birmingham Treatment Centre built in 2005 on the City Hospital site would also stay, but accident and emergency departments at both City and Sandwell hospitals would close. |
| Ray Salmon, from the Unison union, said: "We are pleased this has been given the go ahead because we don't feel the City Hospital is fit for purpose for staff. | Ray Salmon, from the Unison union, said: "We are pleased this has been given the go ahead because we don't feel the City Hospital is fit for purpose for staff. |
| "We are not worried about the closure of the A and E department because the distance from where it is now will be offset by the better facilities." | "We are not worried about the closure of the A and E department because the distance from where it is now will be offset by the better facilities." |