NHS has initiated emergency plans to stop disruption to essential services across 14 hospital trusts following the liquidation of construction and services company Carillion.
Six big hospitals are now staffed with additional employees for carrying out maintenance, catering, cleaning and portering services, which were provided by Carillion.
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals, and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trusts had contracted the company to build new hospitals.
With Carillion’s collapse now, the construction works could face delays, reported Independent.co.uk.
The company has 20,000 employees, out of which 8,000 are employed in the health sector.
The court has appointed PwC to manage the liquidation.
Following the collapse, Carillion’s health staff did come to work due to uncertainty.
The NHS is already facing pressures due to winter. Bed occupancy levels are presently above the safe limits, thereby making cleaning and maintenance services all the more essential.
In 13 hospital trusts, Carillion through subcontracts had to provide building maintenance, catering, and cleaning services through PFI provider company.
Carillion was directly contracted by three trusts to provide car park management and other services.
The 200-year-old contractor lost money on major contracts and had debts amounting to £900m and a pension deficit of £590m.
