Skanska took top awards at the publicprivatefinance Awards 2003 for its major PFI project to build a 1212–bed acute hospital in Coventry to replace Walsgrave Hospital.
The scheme won the “Health Project Above £45million” category, with judges describing it as “a project defined by its complexity and its pioneering status within the PFI health sector, playing a fundamental role in many aspects of NHS PFI development.”
It then went on to take the star award of “Best Partnership”, picked from the 16 category winners. This recognises the best that PFI has to offer, with judges commenting that the Coventry project was “the crème de la crème” and an excellent example of how the PFI can provide innovation and deliver on public sector need.
The hospital project breaks new ground in PFI. It is the biggest ever built under PFI and the first to involve two NHS Trusts - University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and Coventry Primary Care Trust. It is also the first to enable soft FM staff to remain employees of the NHS.
Skanska is in the consortium responsible for financing, designing, building, equipping, maintaining and operating the hospital, which is completed in 2007. Skanska Construction is responsible for designing and building the hospital.