27th Apr 2006 12:33
Synergy Healthcare PLC27 April 2006 For Immediate Release 27 April 2006 SYNERGY HEALTHCARE PLC ("Synergy" or the "Company") Contract Award on Financial Close of Barts and The London NHS Trust Synergy Healthcare plc (AIM: SYR), a leading provider of outsourced medicalsupport services, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the SterileServices contract for Barts and The London NHS Trust delivering services throughthe PFI contract being managed by the consortium known as Capital Hospitals. The Capital Hospitals consortium, Skanska, in consortium with Innisfree andEquion (part of John Laing plc), has today reached financial close for theredevelopment of Britain's biggest hospital scheme under the UK Government'sPrivate Finance Initiative (PFI) - Barts and The Royal London. The Royal Londonwill be the largest new hospital in the UK. St Bartholomew's will betransformed into a Cancer and Cardiac Centre of Excellence. The combinedfacilities will provide a total of up to 1,248 patient beds. Architect for the scheme is HOK. Health Care Projects are responsible formanagement services on the project. Sovereign Hospital Services (Carillion Plc)will be responsible for soft FM services with Siemens Medical Solutions carryingout managed technology services for medical equipment and Synergy Healthcareproviding sterile services. The Sterile Services contract has an initial value of circa £2.8 million perannum with an overall term of 42 years. The new purpose built sterile servicesunit will be one of the largest facilities in England and represents asignificant step forward in the use of technology and process controls toimprove decontamination, patient safety and availability of surgicalinstruments. Synergy's TrakStar information technology system will be used totrack surgical instruments. Sterile services is currently located in the Barts Hospital site but in an areawhich is in the first part of the build programme. The new sterile services unitwill be in the Royal London but will not be available until 2011. So a newsterile services unit has been constructed in Wharf Rd, Islington N1. Sterileservices will transfer to Wharf Rd on 8 May with 74 NHS staff becoming Synergyemployees. Dr Richard Steeves, Chief Executive, commented: "Barts and The Royal London will be the largest hospital redevelopment in theUK. Our business is based on improving the quality and efficiency of sterile andlinen services for hospitals. The new facility in Islington, our 15th in the UKand the largest in the country and is purpose built to Synergy's design enablingus to improve the overall standard of decontamination and patient safety." ENQUIRIES: Synergy Healthcare plcDr Richard Steeves, Chief Executive 01332 387 107Ivan Jacques, Group Finance Director 01332 387 140 Brewin DolphinMark Brady 01132 410130 Buchanan CommunicationsTim Anderson/ Isabel Podda 020 7466 5000Skanska InnisfreeTanya Barnes, Head of Communications, Skanska UK 01923 423 905 Notes to Editors: The Barts and The London Hospitals redevelopment - Key Facts The Team Client Barts and The London NHS Trust Special Purpose Company Skanska, Innisfree and Equion Construction Skanska Architect HOK Hard FM & Waste Services From July 2006, Skanska will be responsible for the planned, corrective andreactive maintenance during the concession period of the following: grounds andlandscaping, engineering services, specialist equipment and systems energymanagement, non-medical equipment and waste management. Soft FM Services From July 2006, Sovereign Hospital Services (Carillion Plc) will undertake theSoft FM services at the hospitals to include: Catering (Patient and NonPatient), Cleaning, Housekeeping, Laundry, Portering, Receipt and Distribution,Reception, Security, Telecommunications, Transport. Managed Technology Services for Medical Equipment Siemens Medical Solutions Sterile Services From May 2006, Synergy Healthcare plc will commence the surgical instrumentdecontamination service. St Bartholomew's (Barts) Barts Hospital will become a Cancer and Cardiac Centre of Excellence,incorporating services from The London Chest Hospital. The state-of-the-artfacilities for cancer will include the recently opened Breast Care Centre, andpatients will be investigated or treated for heart disease using the mostup-to-date equipment. Minor injuries will continue to be treated at Barts, and Sexual Health Services,the Trust's Centre for Reproductive Medicine and an integrated rehabilitationunit will remain at the hospital. The new hospital will provide specialist cancer and cardiac services to theresidents of the City, east London and beyond, and will include: • Up to 343 patient beds, with more than 40per cent in single rooms with en-suite facilities and the remainder in spacious, four-bedded bays • State-of-the-art facilities for cancer, including a Breast Care Centre opened by the Trust in 2004 • Minor injuries unit, complemented by London's leading A&E at The Royal London, on the City's doorstep • Sexual health Services, the Trust's Centre for Reproductive Medicine and an integrated rehabilitation unit, located in the refurbished, grade II listed Kenton and Lucas Wing at the hospital • Cardiac services incorporated from The London Chest hospital • Glass atria, pedestrian piazzas and landscaped gardens to create warm, safe, welcoming and healing environment • Blending of historic Georgian wings with the modern architecture of a new building purpose-built to support the delivery of 21st-century clinical care • Restoration and pedestrianisation of Barts Square to its 18th-Century status for the enjoyment of patients, visitors and staff The proposals for Barts blend the hospital's historic Georgian buildings withthe modern architecture of a new building designed for 21st -century clinicalcare. The hospital will benefit from a clear focal point of access and mainreception. The new building will replace the existing King George V Block and Queen MaryWing, and will complement the Grade-I listed architecture of the remainingbuildings. It will be finished in Portland stone to blend into the historicsetting and the St Paul's skyline will be protected. Within the overall urban design strategy, the existing buildings have beensensitively refurbished with specific focus on restoring the Square from whichparking will be removed, restoring it to its 18th century status as a pedestrianspace for the enjoyment of patients, visitors and staff. The restoration planincorporates the fountain and its adjacent shelters and lamp standards. The contemporary landscaping proposals, including repaving the Square to thefacades of the buildings, will add a new dimension to this important civic spacewhilst enhancing the Smithfield Conservation Area. The hospital environment has been designed with airy glass atria, pedestrianpiazzas and landscaped gardens, to create a warm, safe, welcoming and healingsanctuary from the bustling urban environment of the City. The main construction work on the hospital is due start immediately. The newhospital is expected to be fully complete in 2016, with major elements readybeforehand, including the new cancer facility in 2010. The Royal London Hospital The Royal London Hospital provides district general hospital services for theCity and Tower Hamlets and specialist tertiary care services for patients fromacross London and beyond. Britain's biggest new hospital will include London'sleading trauma and emergency care centre, one of Europe's largest renal servicesand the capital's second biggest paediatric service, provided within a dedicatedWomen and Children's unit. The redevelopment of The Royal London will transform the hospital experience forpatients with state-of-the-art facilities and standards of care to rival thebest in Europe. The new hospital will continue to provide clinically renowned general andspecialist services to the residents of east London, the City and beyond, andwill include: • Up to 905 patient beds - more than 40per cent in single rooms with en-suite facilities, the remainder in spacious, four-bedded bays • London's leading trauma and emergency care centre, including the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). • London's second largest paediatric service, within a dedicated Women and Children's unit • A beacon for regeneration and investment in Whitechapel, in particular local employment during and after construction • Glass atria, pedestrian piazzas and landscaped gardens to create a welcoming and healing environment The new hospital at The Royal London will feature a cluster of inter-connectedcontemporary glass buildings, including two towers, one equipped with thehelipad for London's Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), which is basedat the hospital. The new development will replace many of the existing buildings with a coherentstructure, purpose-built to support the delivery of 21st-century clinical care.It will be sympathetic to the hospital's historic buildings, which will beretained, and will greatly improve the link across Whitechapel Road to the tubestation. The hospital environment has been designed to be warm, safe, welcoming, andhealing. Airy glass atria, pedestrian piazzas, and landscaped open spaces willcreate a sanctuary from the bustling urban environment of Whitechapel. The new hospital is expected to be fully complete in 2016, with approximately75% of The Royal London redevelopment ready in 2012. In contrast to the existing buildings, which have had to adapt to the demands ofmodern health care, the new hospitals are being designed for 21st-centuryclinical functionality. At the heart of the team's approach is an innovativeconcept that clusters support service delivery facilities in hubs serving zonescomprising suites of beds or departments in order to minimise disruption toclinical activities. Both hospitals are being designed for energy efficiency - using the ventilationsystems to optimise heat recovery, and energy-efficient services equipment. Theproject team continues to work with the Trust to explore other innovative andcost effective energy solutions. The project team will be responsible for maintaining the buildings that formBarts and the Royal London hospitals to high standards, ensuring that thequality is maintained throughout the duration of the contract. Skanska is a leader in the UK's Public Private Partnership (PPP)/Private FinanceInitiative (PFI) programme with a portfolio of schemes worth in excess of £ 3.8billion. In the UK, the company employs 3500 people and achieved revenue of £793million and operating income of £25.5 million for the year ending December 31st2005. Skanska Infrastructure Development has now developed and invested (or undertakento invest) more than £ 90 M, in UK PFI projects, mainly hospitals and schools. Barts and The London is one of the largest, busiest and most respected teachinghospital trusts in the UK, employing around 8,000 staff and providing servicesto a catchments area of 2.5 million people. The Trust provides general hospitalservices to Tower Hamlets and the City and specialist services for East Londonand beyond. Synergy Healthcare plc is a leading provider of outsourced medical services tothe UK and the Netherlands, with an annualised turnover of over £130million andhas over 2500 employees. It is the UK's largest provider of decontamination andsterile services for surgical instruments operating fifteen facilities andprocessing approximately 40 million instruments per annum. Synergy has beenproviding sterile services in the UK since 1996 and has recently been appointedpreferred bidder for a large contract in the Netherlands. All of its unitscomply with the latest European standards for the decontamination of surgicalinstruments. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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